Why Iranian fans booed and turned their backs during the national anthem against Egypt at the World Cup
During Iran’s match against Egypt, some fans showed their disapproval during the national anthem by booing and turning their backs. Iran now has to wait nervously to see if they can make it to the World Cup knockout stage after a draw with Egypt, especially after a late winning goal was disallowed in heartbreaking fashion.
The top eight third-placed teams will move on, and Iran still has a good chance, but their fate depends on the upcoming group games on Saturday.
During the opening match, there were boos for Iran’s anthem, and the same happened in Seattle against Egypt. Some fans chose to turn away in protest. At Lumen Field, this ‘Pride Match’ saw loud boos as the anthem linked to the current Islamic Republic was played.
A study by Iran International shows only 20% of Iranians support the current government, while 40% believe regime change is needed for reform, and another 24% want a broader political transition.
US authorities had banned pre-revolution Iranian flags at the World Cup stadiums, but many appeared during the Egypt match without stewards intervening.
After the game against Belgium, Iran’s star player, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, spoke about the boos from fans. He said the team understands there are good and bad days and that they play for all Iranians, no matter their views, hoping to make them proud. He believes the best thing is to focus on playing well and respecting everyone’s opinions.
Due to a military conflict with the US, Iran had to move their base camp to Tijuana and then travel back to Mexico after their last group game. The team has faced travel problems during the tournament, and captain Mehdi Taremi criticized FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino, for not fixing these issues.
After the Egypt match, Taremi said, “This has been a disaster World Cup for us. FIFA should solve these problems but hasn’t since the start. Infantino visited us after the first game and said it’s just the beginning, but now the group stage is ending.”
He added, “We don’t even have our logistic staff with us because they couldn’t get visas. Traveling from Tijuana isn’t fair for professional players. We love the people there and in Mexico, but this situation isn’t right. No one is helping us with recovery or logistics, and it’s very frustrating.”