FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter attended the first ever international match played by Palestine in the Palestinian territories since the affiliation of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) to FIFA in 1998. The game, against Jordan, was played in front of an enthusiastic sellout crowd and ended in a 1-1 draw. The venue for this landmark encounter was the fully renovated Al-Husseini Stadium in the city of Al-Ram near Ramallah. Blatter inaugurated the stadium on Sunday together with Palestine Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. FIFA says it is essential that all of its member associations can play their home games where they are based. With this in mind, world football's governing body undertook an initiative to help build the first stadium in the Palestinian territories that meets the requirements to stage an international game. The refurbishment of the stadium was funded by FIFA as well as some additional donations from France, Saudi Arabia, the Olympic Council of Asia and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi. The remaining costs are being met by the Palestinian FA. The stadium also houses the PFA's headquarters and technical centre. "Football is about much more than just kicking a ball," Blatter said. "The aim of football is not only to put the ball in the net, but to touch the world and build a better future. As FIFA president, I'm very proud, impressed and honoured to be here to attend the first international game played by the Palestinian team in Palestine. This is a historic moment and a victory for football." Earlier in the day, Blatter laid a wreath at the mausoleum of the former President Yasser Arafat. He then had an audience with Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, who awarded him the W issam Al-Quds (Order of Jerusalem). Blatter also joined Abbas in kicking off the Palestinian women's football league at a futsal tournament in Ramallah. During the FIFA president's visit, two football pitches funded by FIFA's Goal programme -- one located next to the Al-Husseini Stadium, the other one in Al-Bireh -- were inaugurated. A day earlier, Blatter was in Amman to lay the foundation stone of the third FIFA Goal project in Jordan.
