Manchester United and France football legend Eric Cantona has once again stepped into the political and humanitarian spotlight after appearing in a shirt supporting the Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti. The move garnered widespread attention across social media platforms and international media.

Cantona posted a picture of himself wearing a shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Freedom for Marwan” as part of an international solidarity campaign calling for the release of Barghouti, who has spent more than two decades in Israeli prisons. Messages circulated by the campaign emphasized that the shirt is “not just sports attire,” but carries political and humanitarian symbolism associated with the values of freedom, resilience, and justice.

According to Anadolu Agency, the shirt’s design was inspired by the Palestinian national team’s jersey from 2002, the year Barghouti was arrested during the Second Palestinian Intifada. It also bears the number “24”, referring to the years he has spent inside Israeli detention facilities.

Cantona on Marwan Barghouti

In a statement accompanying the photos, the campaign added that Barghouti “will once again be unable to watch the World Cup with his children this year,” considering the message to transcend sports and shed light on the issue of Palestinian prisoners. The campaign also affirmed that football “has always been a global space for expressing freedom, dignity, and the rejection of injustice.”

Cantona is known for his political and humanitarian stance supporting human rights issues. He has previously expressed solidarity with Palestinians multiple times and criticized the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in recent months.

The French star’s photos provoked a massive reaction among football fans and social media activists. Many considered that the appearance of a global sports personality of Cantona’s stature grants the campaign additional media momentum, especially given the recent expansion of global sports and artistic solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Eric Cantona is considered one of Manchester United’s most prominent legends, having led the team to several domestic titles during the nineties, subsequently becoming a historical icon for the club and its fans worldwide.

Cantona’s action follows similar stances taken by a number of athletes and artists globally who have expressed their support for Palestine and their rejection of the war on Gaza — a scene that has been notably recurring in international stadiums and sporting events.

Featured image via the Canary

By Alaa Shamali

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