Iranian team wears #168 pins for airstrike victims ahead of World Cup
The Iranian World Cup team’s shuttle between Mexico and the United States took root with a prop in Tijuana on Sunday.
The players arrived in Tijuana wearing the following outfits: gold lapel pins Their jackets bear an inscription commemorating the victims of a missile attack on a primary school on February 28, at the beginning of their country’s war.
The pins simply said “#168”; It was a copy of the hashtag stating the number of people killed in a daylight attack in Minab, southern Iran. Most of the victims were girls Shajareh goes to Tayyebeh Primary School.
The Iranian delegation flew from Türkiye to Tijuana by private jet. Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj said two weeks ago that the training base would be in Mexico instead of Tucson.
FIFA did not give any reason for the change, but there were delays in processing US visas for some Iranian players and other delegation members with alleged links to the Revolutionary Guard.
Iran is set to play its three group stage matches in the United States, with the first match to be played on June 15 against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium (referred to as Los Angeles Stadium during the World Cup). The second match will be played against Belgium on June 21 and the third match will be played against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
It’s unclear whether FIFA, the World Cup’s governing body, will allow anyone sitting on the sidelines to wear badges during matches. This includes players as well as coaches and other team personnel.
FIFA took no action in response to earlier commemorative demonstrations by Iranian players and did not comment on the legality of wearing badges. FIFA regulations state that “equipment must not contain any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images.” The rule applies to players, coaches and officials standing on the sidelines during matches.
The Iranian team twice acknowledged the victims of airstrikes during the Iranian national anthem before warm-up matches in March. First the players I held purple school backpacks It is decorated with bows. In the second, the players were carrying photographs of the dead.
Before the final warm-up matches, the Iranian team held their right hands over their chests during the anthem. And in early March, some members Iran women’s football team remained silent As the national anthem was played during the Asian Cup match, Iranian state television called them “wartime traitors”.
Video footage analyzed by research group Bellingcat appears to show a US Tomahawk missile hitting the school, which is adjacent to a compound linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and a marine brigade barracks. The United States did not accept responsibility for the attack, although the military investigated.
When Iran team captain Ehsan Hajsafi arrived in Tijuana, he criticized FIFA for the delay in obtaining a visa.
“First of all, we are very happy that the team has finally arrived and we are very pleased with it,” Hajsafi told reporters. “Thank God, the situation of the team is very good.
“Despite everything that happened, the visas were finally granted. However, I personally have a complaint against FIFA. Why did it take so long? As far as I understand, the visas were only given to the players and a few members of the technical staff.”
Ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Hajsafi spoke boldly about the government’s crackdown on mass demonstrations in Iran.
“First of all, I would like to express my condolences to all the grieving families in Iran,” Hajsafi said. “They must know that we are with them, that we support them and that we sympathize with them. We cannot deny the conditions, in my country the conditions are not good and the players know it.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
