20 December 2022
By 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum Curatorial Team
The 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (QOSM) celebrates a trailblazing Palestinian footballer.
Born in Bethlehem, a city sacred to billions around the globe, Honey Thaljieh is a name synonymous with football in Palestine.
Growing up in occupied Palestine, surrounded by literal and political, social and cultural barriers, Thaljieh created a space for women’s football in the unlikeliest of places.
Honey Thaljieh's red Palestinian Football Association shirt on display at QOSM. Photo: Courtesy of 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum ©2022
“ I never took no for an answer. I would go back to the streets again and again and play football with the boys. ”Honey Thaljieh
In 2003, she co-founded and became the first captain of the Palestinian Women's National Football Team. She then went on to develop women’s football at all levels in Palestine.
At 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, Thaljieh’s number 10 shirt, on loan from the former athlete, is nestled amongst relics from some of the world’s greatest footballers in the Hall of Athletes..
A series of knee injuries eventually forced Thaljieh to stop playing competitively, but she channeled her passion for football onto a wider field: promoting peace, development and gender equality.
She is the first Arab woman to obtain a FIFA Masters degree, and the first Palestinian woman to work for FIFA. In Palestine and beyond, she has become an inspiring global advocate for the role of sport in changing lives and society.
Plan your visit to 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum today to learn more about your favourite sports heroes.
