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Iran’s soccer team began their World Cup campaign under the shadow of war with the United States. They were soon devastated by the war and the strict conditions on their US visa and other difficulties. Now, as a peace deal emerges between the US and Iran, experts have asked what this could mean for Team Melli – as the Iranian team is known – in the competition.
Although the National Committee fighters have been fighting with other countries during the games, and Argentina was also in the middle of the Dirty War during the 1978 tournament, there has not been a single case of preparing to fight with another participant, as is the case with the US and Iran.
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The United States and Israel launched a war in Iran on February 28. Although a temporary ceasefire stopped the full-scale war on April 8 and a peace agreement was signed this week, the conflict between the two countries is still there and has spread in the World Cup which is said to be political.
This explosion erupted in March when the US President, Donald Trump, said on Truth Social that the Iranian group had been welcomed to the US but “(didn’t believe) that it was right to stay there, for their lives and security”.
Iran’s soccer team has been caught up in US immigration claims since the tournament began. The players were visas issued in the US – where they play all their group games – just 10 days before their opening game against New Zealand in Los Angeles – and left the country for their camp in Mexico after their games. Iranian-American political analyst and journalist Negar Mortazavi has described this as “further hatred” for Team Melli.
Whether the team will be allowed to enter the country remains to be seen as FIFA President Gianni Infantino seems unable to confirm Trump’s statements about the status of the Iranian team.
As a precaution, side manager Amir Ghalenoei changed the team’s camp from Arizona, US, to Tijuana, Mexico, at the last minute. The US dropped twice on Tuesday and said the group should do so take off within hours of regular whistling. They arrived just one day before the trip started.
As an urgent memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran began on Wednesday night, questions arose about the merits of Team Melli.
Although neither side has released a memorandum of understanding, and the exact schedule for the World Cup is expected to be written, experts hope that the agreement will translate into peaceful support for the Iranian soccer team in the US.
“With a peace agreement, things can change,” Mortazavi said in an interview with Al Jazeera.
“We can see that President Trump’s rhetoric on Iran has changed dramatically in the past few days, and suddenly he is talking about good relations with Iran from a political and economic perspective, and this may extend to sports,” he said.
The shift from threats to negotiations escalated last week when Trump posted on his Social Truth platform that “our relationship with Iran is very different and better than previous Administrations have had”. “Hopefully, this will all go faster, easier, and better.”
Mortazavi said that while the World Cup was meant to be politically divisive, the US’s treatment of the Iranian team is evidence of how politics can affect the sport.
“I hope that the peace agreement with the US will open the door to good relations and I hope to have a positive effect on the group’s activities and remove some obstacles if the US gives the best to the group,” he said.
A slight deterioration in relations ahead of the announcement of the peace agreement came as the US on Tuesday quickly they also issued multiple entry visas for Iranian winger Mehdi Torabi after his visa expires following the match with New Zealand.
However, political analyst Niki Akhavan warned that Trump could resume the deal because of the strong pressure he faces from Republicans anti-Iran, pro-Israel groups and Democrats for giving Iran “too much” in the peace deal.
“But, in the best case scenario, issuing a multiple-entry visa to Torabi would be a good sign of some flexibility for the US to comply with its obligations as a host country,” Akhavan told Al Jazeera.
“The comments that Trump made today on Iran are friendly comments, we can see how the Iranian team is doing, which has been treated very badly. This is a sign that they are softening their unethical attitude towards Iran.”
Akhavan’s warning rang true as tensions over the World Cup escalated after Torabi’s visa renewal was the sole beneficiary.
Iran announced on Thursday that it would file a complaint with FIFA after their soccer association said their request to enter the US two days after their game with Belgium on Sunday was denied.
“Although it has given its time to prepare for the tournament in advance, the Iranian national football team has also faced restrictions imposed by the organizers, which affect the implementation of the plans of its professionals,” said the spokesman of the organization.
Some of the responsibilities of the host country include the security of each team, and, Akhavan says that the US decisions regarding the administration of Iran at the World Cup have been discriminatory and have deliberately tried to harm the team.
Barriers were raised when Iran’s World Cup ticket for fans was withdrawn before the tournament began. In addition, some of the team’s players were banned from entering the US, although football players were allowed.
“You’re destroying the team; the whole idea is that everyone is equal on the field, and what the U.S. has done so far has been against that,” Akhavan said.
“I just hope that one of the things about this agreement is that they (the US) will stick to their responsibilities (as a host country) and we will see some changes.
“Because this is unfair to these boys, it is their dream and they are representing their people.”
Akhavan also emphasized that FIFA would have forced the US to fulfill its role as host nation and bypass the war and politics.
“I believe, now that there is an agreement, (Infantino) can use this as an incentive to make peace part of the World Cup. There is a lot of empty peace between Infantino and FIFA with weapons and the FIFA peace prize,” said Akhavan, referring to Trump being the leader. recipient of the inaugural FIFA award in December.
“Let’s see if they can put some of the real things in place in terms of the Iranian community.”
