Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

June 30, 2026

How the Islamic Republic Ruined Soccer for the Iranian People

The game has long had political significance.

Despite the very uneasy truce between the two counties, the U.S allowed Iran’s soccer team to come to its soil to play in the World Cup. On Saturday, the team was eliminated after twice just barely staying in the competition. Shay Khatiri explains the political salience of the game within Iran, and why many Iranians haven’t been cheering for their team this year:

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