Protests in Iran – which erupted in the aftermath of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini’s custodial death in September for allegedly not properly adhering to the hair-covering rules – have consumed the streets of the nation and present the biggest challenge to the ruling regime in its 43-year history. According to Iranian Human Rights (IHR), at least 488 dissenters have been killed in the security forces’ crackdown on the protests.
Football is the country’s beloved sport, and considering the gravity of the situation in Iran, it was impossible for the sport to remain unruffled and evade the Iranian political landscape. Understandably, given their large platforms and influence, players as individuals and the national team as a unit had been under immense pressure from different sections of society to get authentically involved in the situation.
Leading up to the world cup, there were apprehensions, from either side, regarding the impact the national team’s campaign might end up making in Iranian society.
Open Stadiums, a human rights group that is seeking an end to gender-based discrimination in Iranian football and a right for Iranian women to enter stadiums as spectators, addressed FIFA president Gianni Infantino through an open letter, demanding Iran’s expulsion from the world cup. Calling the Iranian FA “an accomplice of the crimes of the regime,” they rhetorically asked: “Why would FIFA give the Iranian state and its representative a global stage…?”
As Iranian football fans, with heavy heart we asked FIFA, due to ongoing human rights violation based on Articles 3-4 of its statutes, immediately expel Iran from #Qatar2022 Worldcup.
Open letter to @FIFAcom⬇️#MahsaAmini#مهسا_امینی#banIRfromWorldcup#StandwithIranianWomen pic.twitter.com/b1tbOJR3T2
— OpenStadiums (@openStadiums) September 30, 2022
On the other hand, people like the former Iranian coach, Afshin Ghoti believed that laden with the anxiety of possible anti-government protests on an enormous platform, the government perhaps might have wanted to withdraw the team themselves, according to The Athletic.
How did footballers respond, leading up to the world cup?
The boldest and most explicit response came from the country’s prolific striker, Sardar Azmoun, who plays his club football at Bayer Leverkusen currently. After the friendly game against Uruguay in September, Azmoun posted a story on Instagram, where he had around 5 million followers at the…
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