On August 10, 2024, 19-year-old football star Celine Haidar danced atop a crimson bus, celebrating the Beirut Football Academy’s first victory in the Lebanese Women’s Football League. The victory was a high point in Lebanon’s tumultuous history, which has been marked by decades of conflict. Despite the omnipresent hum of Israeli fighter jets and the echo of bombs, Celine committed to the game she loves, becoming a beacon of resilience for her war-torn nation.
In October of 2024, as Israel increased its pursuit of Hezbollah agents, Celine and her family evacuated Beirut’s suburbs and sought refuge in Baakline, a village in the Chouf Mountains outside the capital. Celine returned to the city to continue practicing her beloved sport. On November 15, while preparing to evacuate once again, Celine was struck by a piece of shrapnel. The incident, which was caught on camera, showed Celine lying in a pool of her own blood, provoking outrage and sorrow around the world. After two months, Celine underwent throat surgery and came out of a coma, but she cannot move or speak and she rarely registers sounds around her.
Celine’s parents, Abbas and Saana, are heartbroken. They are not alone in their sorrow – since 2023, over 3,700 people have been killed and 16,000 injured in Lebanon in what is the country’s deadliest conflict in three decades. The New York Times reports that more than one million people have been displaced, the economy has been crippled, and schools, farms, businesses, and hospitals lay in ruins.
Celine had exhibited remarkable determination and passion for football from a young age. She idolised Cristiano Ronaldo and dreamed of making the Lebanese national team, moving to the United States, and eventually opening an academy. Celine made 33 top-flight appearances for BFA in her first two seasons, helping to win the under-19 title and the senior league championship. The coach, Samer Barbary, described her as a “prodigy”; she was known as the “Little Captain”.
The peace of a 60-day ceasefire in late November brought temporary calm. However, Celine’s condition has yet to improve significantly. Caring for her has become a full-time occupation for Abbas, who prays for his daughter’s recovery. Celine’s story, captured chillingly on social media, has grabbed global headlines, igniting wider conversations about the human cost of war. Lebanon national team-mate Lili Iskandar notes, “When I heard what happened, I thought, I can be her. Anyone can be her.”
Friends and family of Celine refuse to allow her spirit to be tarnished by her injury. Despite the scale of her medical needs, those who know Celine are steadfast in their hope for her recovery and return to the football field that she so loved. To them, she is not a mere symbol of a nation’s conflict, but a powerful testament to human resilience and the enduring spirit of a young woman who dared to dream big amidst the ravages of war.
