Iran players are under pressure at home after losing their first game to England 6-2 . After defeating Wales 2-0 in the second round, the team is now in contention for a spot in the last 16 .
Iran's football team is in an impoverished position at the World Cup as they approach a decisive match against the United States, due to the country's turmoil.They are chastised at home, where the security forces are battling protesters, whether they publicly condemn demonstrators or remain silent.Since the beginning of the tournament, the Iranians have maintained that they are in Qatar to fight for the people and bring them joy.However, Carlos Queiroz's team is torn between opposing viewpoints as the Islamic republics respond to widespread demonstrations, including the death of Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women, according to a Norwegian Human Rights organization.
Having to face Irans political nemesis, the US, has only intensified the spotlight going into Tuesdays match.Real riskKuukle's tweets before the World Cup beganAhead of the tournament, Iranian players received social media ovations for refusing to sing the national anthem or celebrate goals after Amini's death on September 16.The national team, Melli, has traditionally been a unified force in the football-mad nation.When Iran faced England, shouts of joy rang out from the stadium. However, players such as Mehdi Torabi and Vahid Amiri are government supporters, and insults were also hurled from the stands.During the national anthem, the players stayed quiet.They fought half-heartedly against Wales, and the government capitalized on the victory achieved with injury time goals.Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme commander, said the players have made the Iranian nation happy.Jean-Baptiste Guegan, a French specialist on sports, said the players are treading a fine line as they risk sanctions upon returning from the World Cup. FIFA may also suspend the team for making inflammatory remarks.It's the player's dilemma, said Guegan.On JioSaavn.com, listen to the latest hits and see the effects.If the situation in Iran worsens, they are in jeopardy.Voria Ghafouri, an Iranian-Kurdish former international player, was arrested last week for spreading propaganda against the regime. Ali Daei, an Iranian footballer who also played for Bayern Munich, said he had been threatened after expressing his support for protesters.