Iran’s national soccer team didn’t sing its national anthem before its opening World Cup match on Monday, an apparent showing of solidarity with the human rights movement that has swept the nation.
Iran's players have made limited public comment about the protests. In a pre-match press conference over the weekend, Iranian captain Ehsan Hajsafi had offered condolences to families of those killed."I would like them to know that we are by their side and we feel their pain," he said.The Athletic"No one is happy about it and everybody wants to see a change," he said."What the people want is nothing special — it's just freedom.
Ahead of the tournament, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was asked about Iran's human rights record and defended Iran's inclusion in the tournament."It's because it's not two regimes playing against each other. It's not two ideologies playing against each other. It's two football teams playing against each other. It's football. It's football," he said.
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