ABOUT a year ago, I was up late watching some Chilean football online (even before coronavirus I didn’t get out much) — a game hosted in Rancagua by a side called O’Higgins versus a team called Club Deportivo Palestino. No wonder Latin America is the home of magical realism.

Some say Celtic don’t play in Ireland, but they play for Ireland. Similarly, Palestino don’t play in Palestine, but they do play for Palestine. When they won the Copa Chile in 2018, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas sent a personal letter congratulating the team on their victory and inviting the players and coaching staff to the country.

As Abbas pointed out, Palestino are more than just a football team. They represent both the nation of Palestine and the “just cause for freedom, justice and peace.”