Ekhbary News Agency | 2024-05-15
An American attack on a school in southern Iran has cast a long shadow over the Iranian national team's preparations for their World Cup match against Egypt in Group G. Players trained at their camp in Tijuana, Mexico, on Tuesday evening, displaying black flags and armbands bearing the number "168" to commemorate the victims of the assault. This incident, which killed at least 168 people, mostly schoolchildren, occurred on February 28, the first day of what has been termed the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Protest Actions and Potential FIFA Sanctions
The figure "168" directly references the casualties from the attack on the Minab school in southern Iran. This act of solidarity was not limited to recent training sessions; armbands with the same number were also worn by players upon their arrival at the Mexican camp earlier this month, following a training period in Turkey. As it happens, such displays place the Iranian national team under intense scrutiny from FIFA.
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FIFA Regulations and Coach's Commentary
FIFA regulations strictly prohibit any political, religious, or personal slogans, statements, or images on player equipment, potentially exposing the team or individual players to sanctions from the tournament organizer. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei previously described his squad as "the most oppressed team" in the tournament, citing their delayed access to Los Angeles just 24 hours before matches against New Zealand and Belgium. This highlights the off-field challenges the team navigates, even as Egypt leads the group with four points, with Iran and Belgium each holding two points.
