He dreamed of becoming like Ronaldo…
At just 14 years old, Naji Nidal Albaba, from Halhoul near Hebron, had a big dream: to become an international soccer player. Everyone who saw him chasing the ball believed that dream could come true.
He spent most of his time on the field — whether at Halhoul Sports Club, the neighborhood yard, or even the alley by his house — always running after the dream, counting the days until he'd become a star.
His friend Reda says:
"He was the tallest among us, and the one everyone loved. He never got tired of playing. Whenever he scored, he'd run to hug me. The dream was truly between his feet."
He wasn't just a child. He knew his father's medication schedule by heart and cared for him as if he were the head of the household. He was the joy of the family — the one everyone leaned on.
But on November 3rd, 2024, everything stopped. A bullet fired by occupation forces during a raid near his home struck him while he was playing soccer after lunch. In a single moment, the dream was gone — and so was Naji.
The dream was shattered. The laughter was stolen. The innocence was taken.
His name in Arabic means "the one who survived." But he didn't survive.
Naji's memory will live on — because Naji deserved to live.
