World Cup stars let Iran down by refusing to protest… how football failed a country in crisis

It’s been two weeks since Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup and a month since Iran, also known as Team Melli, left Qatar after losing to the United States in their last group game.

In the context of the continuing mess in Iranian society and politics, the World Cup is irrelevant. In the minds of many of us who have been protesting against an oppressive government, it was also a missed opportunity.

The tragic death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16 turned Iranian politics upside down. We have been a country in rebellion ever since. A common view here was that if our footballers wouldn’t support social change on the biggest stage, even with the risk involved, then we can’t support them.

The Iran soccer team chose not to hold significant protests at the World Cup in Qatar

Hundreds of Iranians have been killed for protesting in support of their basic human rights.

Many people here feel our national team let them down, showing no outward empathy for the protesters here beyond refusing to sing the national anthem before the opening game.

Among the Iranian fanatics in Qatar, according to some who were there, was a sinister contingent of Iranian government officials. Qatar’s harsh restrictions on fans holding political rallies have also made it difficult for Iranian supporters to express their dissent.

The players had a global stage to talk about and they didn’t take chances.

Of course it takes bravery to stand up to your government, but looking from here, the players acted as usual; The goal celebrations disappointed many. When Team Melli returned to Tehran, there was a surprising welcome from a crowd that seemed to have been unnaturally assembled by the government.

Mahsa Amini died in hospital in September under suspicious circumstances after failing to comply with Iran’s mandatory hijab law.

Ordinary Iranians, particularly many women and young women fighting for basic rights, have been killed in scores for protesting those rights. Iran’s Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says more than 508 have been killed by the authorities. Even the Iranian government accepts that the number is higher than 200.

HRANA also warns that between 60 and 100 prisoners are at risk of execution, simply for speaking out against the regime. Amir Nasr Azadani, 26, a former Iranian Pro League player is one of them, sentenced to death.

Since the squad returned from Iran, they have remained silent. They don’t talk about anything outside of Team Melli and what happened in the matches. They are being criticized for receiving bonuses, such as an official license to import luxury cars into the country, while keeping quiet about their fellow citizens.

Our national league resumed a few days after the World Cup. Games are still being played in empty stadiums, including the Tehran derby between Esteghlal and Perspolis. If there are no fans, there can be no protests. This is the logic of our regime.

Before closing the stadiums, Iran was under pressure from FIFA to allow women to enter as spectators. This is still a challenge. And what is FIFA doing?

The authorities’ desire to continue cracking down on dissent has become more visible in recent days as our greatest player of all time, Ali Daei, seemed to be in the crosshairs again. The former striker complained about the government after Asra Panahi, a 15-year-old girl from his hometown of Ardabil, was killed in October.

The Iranian soccer team celebrates after scoring their first World Cup goal against Wales

He had refused to participate in a pro-government demonstration and was among a group of classmates beaten by Iran’s security services for doing so. She died from her injuries.

Just a few weeks ago, Ali Daei once again supported the protesters, prompting the government to close a restaurant and jewelry store he owned.

This apparent harassment continued last week when a Dubai-bound plane carrying his wife and daughter was forced to land on the Persian Gulf island of Kish to prevent them from leaving the country. They are fine. Ali Daei later said: “Thank God they are healthy and I have them by my side.”

There are conflicting reports as to exactly what happened and why, although the consensus is that the family was targeted for Ali Daei’s support of the protests. The airline said they were told to land by official edict.

Ali Daei, widely considered the greatest player in Iran’s history, pictured with his wife and son.

A news agency said Ali Daei’s family was banned from leaving the country for contributing to what they called ‘disturbances’. But the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected this claim, saying no restrictions were placed on them.

Ali Daei’s family is not allowed to leave Iran, but it is unclear if he would be free to do so. There is no word on when his business might be allowed to reopen. But a prominent pro-regime extremist, Hamid Rasaei, has publicly called for Ali Daei to be ‘beaten’, meaning punished or beaten.

The orchestrated nature of the intimidation was also highlighted when the government-controlled Channel 3 aired a negative documentary about another former Iran player, Ali Karimi, a vocal supporter of the protests now living in North America.

Amid this crackdown, the protests have subsided and the voices of the protesters are mostly heard while we watch videos of the burials of people killed for protesting. Meanwhile, the government is busy scheduling court dates to sentence more protesters, including to death.

An Iranian television channel broadcasting from London recently claimed that FIFA has asked the Iranian Football Federation for news about Amir Nasr Azadani.

Will that help? Will governments like the UK support our people and put more pressure on the Iranian government?

Or now that the World Cup is over, has the world moved?