TUDEH reflects on Iranian national football team at World Cup

It is worth noting that on February 28, 2022, just a few days after Russia's military attack on Ukraine, the Russian national teams and clubs were banned from all competitions by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Confederation of European Football (UEFA). This is while FIFA and UEFA have not yet made a decision on the exclusion of the Israeli national team from participating in the competitions of these two organizations and are still "investigating" the matter.

The Iranian national football team's three matches against teams from New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt ended without a loss, with a draw and three points. It is worth noting that the New Zealand team is the strongest team in the Oceania continent, the Belgian national football team is one of the strongest teams in the European continent and a prominent team in the European Cup of Nations, and the Egyptian national football team is the oldest national football team in the African continent and one of the champions and most honored teams in the African Cup of Nations.

Based on fan votes, the best players of all three matches were selected from the Iranian national team players. Ramin Rezaian (right defender of the Iranian national team) was selected as the best player of the match in the two matches Iran-New Zealand and Iran-Egypt, and Alireza Beiranvand (goalkeeper of the Iranian national football team) was selected as the best player of the match in the match Iran-Belgium.

If we also consider the unfair conditions imposed on the players of our national football team, the brilliance and greatness of their work is added to. The players of the Iranian national team participated in these matches in conditions where they did not enjoy equal and fair conditions and facilities compared to the football teams of other countries. In the past few months, the players of the Iranian national team, like all the people of Iran, were facing war, aggression and full-scale bombing by the United States and Israel, and therefore were not able to carry out their preparation exercises as they should have. Besides, when the homeland is under brutal bombing, one cannot talk about having the necessary peace of mind and mental focus to prepare and prepare the team.

In addition, it is necessary to mention the deliberate obstruction of the work of the United States (one of the three hosts of the 2026 World Cup), such as the delay in issuing visas to members of the national team and the failure to provide visas to some members of the support staff of the delegation accompanying the national team, such as bodybuilders, logistics officials, media and analysts. The members of the Iranian national team received visas to enter the United States only ten days before their first match in Los Angeles. Due to the inhumane treatment of the US government and due to visa restrictions and security requirements, the players of the Iranian national team were forced to return to their residence and training camp in Tijuana, Mexico, after each match, extremely tired and without the possibility of recovering their bodies from the matches in the United States. Despite the promises made by its president Infantino, FIFA was unable or unwilling to take the slightest step towards resolving this blatant injustice towards the players of the Iranian national team. Mehdi Taremi (captain and striker of the Iranian national team) said in an interview after the draw against the Egyptian national team: “This is the most disastrous World Cup in history.”

Apart from these unequal conditions and injustices, the Iranian national team abroad also faced some conscious hostility from mercenary media outlets such as “Iran International” and far-right monarchist groups. They tried to divide Iranian society by separating people from the national team and considering it a “government.” The mercenary media outlets, crossing the boundaries of immorality, as they did not long ago, under the criminal bombing of the United States and Israel, tried to portray defending the homeland as equal to defending the Velayat-e-Faqih regime, and in recent days and weeks, they have also tried to portray supporting the national team as equal to supporting the government of the Islamic Republic.

Fighting against the national cohesion and unity of society has always been one of the poisonous methods and tricks of colonialism and the enemies of the Iranian nation. They seek to negate and destroy anything that strengthens national solidarity, increases the self-confidence of society, and makes the masses of the people aware of their agency and inexhaustible power against colonialism and tyranny. In order to defeat a great nation, they must be torn apart and stripped of any common identity and destiny. In their opinion, society must be so powerless and fragmented at various levels of sport, culture, politics, and society, and turned into a desolate wilderness, so that the puppets and mercenaries of foreigners can be given a chance to show off in this battle. The depth of their deceit and treachery, however, is gradually becoming more and more apparent before the eyes of the Iranian people, and their fists are being opened. The honorable people of Iran, both inside and outside the country, have shown over the years, and especially in recent months, that they are not deceived by these media outlets and self-soldiers, and without any illusions, they defend their national and moral values ​​and their homeland, and challenge both the material foundations of tyranny and the cultural superstructure built by tyranny.

Together with the freedom-loving and patriotic people of Iran, we thank the players of our national team for their sacrifice, and we say to them, "Don't get tired, don't give up," and we wish them and the people of our country more success.