Before its first match at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the Iran men’s national soccer team seemed to make a powerful statement about current events taking place off the pitch.
Before the squad’s opening group match against England, Team Melli stood silently and did not sing while the country’s national anthem played. The move appeared to be a show of solidarity with protesters back in Iran, as demonstrations against the government have become prevalent across the country in recent months.
The players on Iran’s national team have remained mostly subdued amid the protests, which broke out following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody in Iran in September after being charged with wearing a headscarf improperly, according to ESPN’s Mark Ogden. During the demonstrations, women have been seen removing and burning their state-mandated headscarves, according to the Associated Press, and police have responded to the protests violently.
