'Dreams shattered: Israeli strike leaves female footballer in coma

A 19-year-old aspiring female footballer, Celine Haidar is currently in coma after being severely injured in an Israeli airstrike on her neighborhood in southern Beirut.

The incident has left her family devastated, as the young athlete’s dreams of pursuing a professional football career were tragically interrupted.

Haidar’s father, Abbas Haidar, told AFP that Celine had returned to Beirut to continue her studies and training in football. Despite warnings of escalating violence and evacuation orders from the Israeli military, Celine remained in the area, only leaving her home when the bombing intensified, and returning to sleep each night.

On the day of the attack, Haidar received a warning from his daughter about new evacuation orders issued by Israeli forces, but shortly afterward, he was informed that she had been taken to the hospital.

According to reports, Celine was struck by shrapnel from a nearby bomb and suffered serious head injuries, including a brain hemorrhage and a fractured skull.

Her mother, Sanaa Sharhour, expressed hope for her daughter’s recovery, stating, "She is a heroine, she will get up."

Sharhour also recalled how her daughter had once dreamt of becoming a football star like global icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

"She wanted to be a star, and now everyone is talking about her for reasons she never wished for," Sharhour added.