Saudi Soccer Fans Support Playing Israel

israeli soccer
Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty

The Times of Israel reports: With spirits high as their national team opened the World Cup in Russia Thursday, Saudi Arabian soccer fans said they would be open to the prospect of playing against Israel in the future, as Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesman wished the gulf kingdom luck in the international soccer tournament.

Ahead of the first game in the three-week long competition, between hosts Russia and long shots Saudi Arabia, supporters who has traveled from the desert country to the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow said that politics should stay out of sports.

Speaking to an Israeli Hadashot news correspondent at the game, several fans said they would be happy to see their team play the Jewish state. “Why not?” said one Saudi fan draped in his country’s green flag, when asked if he could ever imagine such a match taking place. “This is sport, there is no connection to politics.”

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