The Iranian people want their football team to lose in the World Cup... Activist comes up with a scathing tweet on the team

Iran Football team and Masih Alinejad (Source: Twitter)

The FIFA World Cup saw three games played on Monday. One of them was between Iran and England, where the Iranians were humbled by a 6-2 defeat to England. They have suffered a crushing defeat and at the same time, all is not well for them at home too.

The Iran football team have been under heavy scrutiny for their participation in the FIFA World Cup. This is because of the protests against the government that have taken centre stage all across the nation. The football team lovingly goes by the name of Team Melli. 

Iran has been at the forefront of sixty days of protests that have gripped the country over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was in morality police custody on September 16. A huge crackdown since Amini’s death has left nearly four hundred people dead. This finding came from the Oslo-based group for Iran Human Rights.

Masih Alinejad an activist in Iran found fault with the team saying that the football team are the puppets of the government and doesn't speak for the people. She has put out a powerful tweet which highlights the grave situation which is unfolding in Iran.

Here is the Tweet-

Iran is the only country in the World Cup that its people want their national football team to lose since the team doesn’t represent the people but the regime.We want our people to win in the streets where protesters are getting killed for demanding freedom & dignity.#MahsaAmini pic.twitter.com/1nl91fghhK

— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) November 21, 2022

Her tweet came immediately after the Iran Team did not sing their National Anthem as a mark of disapproval. The players just stood their ground and did not sing the anthem. This is seen as a sign of tolerance concerning the anti-government protests.

The players have been sandwiched as they are caught between the Iranian officials, who want them to pledge their allegiance to the orthodox Islamic establishment in Iran. Whereas on the other hand, the young passionate fans of the Iranian Football team want them to extend their hand of solidarity when it comes to the protests.

When we look from a historical standpoint, Team Melli has been a symbol of unity and hope for the country. It is seen as a way for Iranians to stand up as one against much more established international teams.