After declining to do so against England earlier this week, Iran’s footballers sang their national anthem before the game against Wales.
Iran’s soccer players gave in to pressure from Tehran and sang the national anthem before the start of their match against Wales on Friday after refusing to do so in their World Cup opener against England earlier this week.
Following the suspicious death of Mahsa Amini, who was detained in September for violating the Islamic dress code and then killed shortly after, the nation is currently experiencing political unrest.
Iranian football players refused to sing their national anthem before their match against England in protest of Amini’s passing, which was met with loud jeers and whistles from their fans in the stands. Iran is experiencing widespread protests as a result of Amini’s death.
The decision to mumble along with the words as some Iran fans sobbed inside the stadium gave the impression that they were caving in before their crucial Group B match against Wales on Friday.
Iran may have decided to refrain from remaining silent during the national anthem out of fear of punishment from the country’s regime upon their eventual return, as political dissent is regarded as a crime that carries the death penalty, according to some theories.
A crackdown on any alleged disrespect to the national anthem had already been discussed by Iranian officials before the World Cup, which may have effectively forced their footballers to sing before the match against Wales after declining to do so before their opening loss to England.
With several flags in the stands bearing the words “Women, Life, Freedom,” some Iranian fans in Qatar have already made their feelings known by showing their support for the demonstrators in their home country. Before Friday’s game against Wales, a few fans were seen sobbing during the pre-game anthems, indicating that the crowd at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium was emotional.
