The FIFA World Cup kicks off in just a few days. The FIFA World Cup is widely considered the most popular sporting event in the world. While this is a sporting event, and as much as FIFA likes to keep football neutral, political, religious, or personal messages are generally prohibited, and players and teams are not supposed to use matches for political statements, politics always finds its way into the game.The FIFA World Cup has never truly been free from politics — and some years stand out as especially controversial. This year is one of them. While it is an honor for every country to qualify for the World Cup, Iranians have mixed feelings.Under the Islamic Republic, sports — and particularly football — have been weaponized to promote the regime’s messaging and propaganda. This is not a new approach in the highly controlled, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-influenced Iranian Football Federation. The Iranian national team’s voyage to the United States has coincided with the war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, which has made their entry into the U.S. more complicated.
They were first supposed to camp in Tucson, Arizona. Then they moved the training camp to Tijuana, Mexico, due to visa troubles. They still need visas, and the U.S. government has announced that it will issue hourly visas for the team. While the Iranian side blamed U.S. visa policy for moving the training camp to Mexico, the main reason could be the Iranian diaspora.
