Football fans queue before boarding the first direct commercial flight between Israel and Qatar for the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, Israel November 20, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Israel is entering the quarter finals of the FIFA U20 World Cup. It feels like a dream, if not a fairy tale.

It was a big deal when Israel qualified for the FIFA Cup, which they’d never done once before. They needed to finish in the top four of the U19 European Championships to automatically qualify for the FIFA Cup; they finished second.

Then, in the competition (which is taking place in Argentina), they found themselves in a tough group containing Colombia, Senegal, and Japan. Could they do well enough to finish in the top two, or be one of the best third-place sides?

The Israeli team opened strong against Colombia, but two late Colombian goals gave the South Americans the win. Against Senegal, Israel once again opened the scoring, but a late Senegalese equalizer meant they shared the points.

Needing a win in the final group game against Japan, Israel found themselves both a man and a goal down, but not to worry. Two late goals meant they finished second in the group, and advanced to the round of 16.

They faced Uzbekistan there, and after 90 minutes and heading into injury time, it was tied at 0-0. Extra time was looking likely and maybe penalties. Anan Khalaili had different ideas. The Arab Israeli, who plays for Maccabi Haifa, poked through the winner in the seventh minute of injury time, with the last kick of the game, and sent Israel through to the quarterfinals.

To see the sheer jubilation on his face was something to behold.

And so this incredible adventure continues. In the quarter finals this weekend, Israel plays Brazil for a spot in the final four.

It may seem a tad unlucky to draw Brazil, but at this stage of the tournament, there are no easy opponents. In a way, getting Brazil now could be the best opponent for Israel.

Yes, the Brazilians are the five-time winners of this tournament, but all the pressure is going to be on Brazil. Israel should play like they have nothing to lose — because they don’t. They’ve overachieved, and then some; they are still in the tournament when two-thirds of the teams have gone home.

It’s a true David and Goliath story, and hopefully the hometown Argentinians will be cheering loudly for the Israeli underdogs, hoping their arch-rival Brazil gets eliminated.

The timing of the match couldn’t be better for people in Israel. With the game starting just minutes after Shabbat, the whole country will be glued to the match. The stakes have never been higher.

Could Israel continue to overcome the odds? Maybe. After all, it’s the story of our country.

David Wiseman is the co-founder of Follow Team Israel and the Head of Online Reputation Management for Buzz Dealer.