Arab and Palestinian Americans Are Redefining Football Fandom in Philadelphia

Arab and Palestinian Americans may not be the first faces people imagine when thinking about diehard football fans, yet across Philadelphia, they are shaping a passionate and growing corner of the NFL fan community. For some, football is a way to honor hometown loyalty; for others, it’s a path to belonging in a new city. Together, they reflect how deeply the sport resonates far beyond traditional borders.

In the Philadelphia Eagles’ front office, Ameena Soliman stands as a powerful example of this expanding presence. As the team’s director of football operations and a pro scout, she analyzes player data, oversees scouting coordination, and has spent eight seasons helping build the Eagles team that dominated Kansas City 40–22 in Super Bowl LIX. For a Palestinian American woman, carving out a leadership role in the NFL might seem exceptional—but Soliman is one of many Arab Americans whose passion for the sport runs deep.

Passion That Starts at Home

That passion is easy to spot in living rooms across the region, including the Doylestown home of 24-year-old Egyptian American investment banker Fathi Ahmed. Every Sunday night, Ahmed commits what many Philadelphia residents would consider football treason: he roots for the Giants—right in the heart of Eagles territory. His loyalty stems from growing up in New York City, and even though Saquon Barkley left the Giants for the Eagles in 2024, Ahmed proudly still wears the #26 Giants jersey.

“It’s bittersweet wearing this jersey now,” he says. “Watching one of my favorite players join our biggest rival feels like heartbreak.”

Ahmed’s love for football began in 2015 through the Madden NFL video game. Today, his competitive streak thrives in fantasy football leagues: “I look forward to the bragging rights when I win.”

For others, the NFL connection goes back even further. Dr. Amir Alkader, a 35-year-old anesthesiologist from Delaware County, remembers the exact moment his football journey began. At nine years old, his Palestinian mother bought him a Green Bay Packers sweater—not knowing the team, he looked it up on Yahoo and became instantly hooked. Soon, he was playing football during recess and later joining a fantasy league that he’s now been part of for 21 years.

“When I moved from New Jersey to Philly in 2019,” he says, “switching my fandom to the Eagles made sense. The culture here pulls you in whether you’re ready or not.”

Rivalry, Family, and the Joy of the Game

For Khaled Heba, a Palestinian-Egyptian financial consultant, football wasn’t just a fandom—it was a lived experience. As a freshman at Robbinsville High School in New Jersey, he lined up as a linebacker. He inherited his loyalty to the Giants from his older brother, a devotion strong enough to survive marrying a Palestinian woman he lovingly describes as “a raging Eagles fan.”

Their household rivalry could star in a sitcom. Heba tried converting his wife, Natalie, when they first met. She laughed. Years later, with their first child on the way, he’s planning to raise a Giants fan from birth. Natalie counters by reminding him that her team—the Eagles—“actually wins games.”

“Because the Giants have been so bad,” Heba says with a sigh, “she gets the last laugh all the time.”

Still, football brings people together. Heba and Natalie often host watch parties that double as fundraisers for Palestine, uniting sports, culture, and community activism under one roof.

As the new season kicks off, Ahmed braces for friendly tension with his Eagles-supporting friends, Alkader gears up for his 21st fantasy football season, and Heba prepares for fatherhood—with a tiny Giants jersey waiting in the drawer.

And in true Philadelphia spirit, Alkader signs off with the city’s favorite rallying cry:

“All I have left to say,” he says, “is GO BIRDS.”