Iran vs New Zealand warm up talk

[Bavafa]

Stupidity is actually closing your eyes on what most of these players saying on TV and pretend it is only 1 or two!

shoja, torabi, cheshmi, rezaeian, Hardani, Beiranvand, alipour, hajsafi etc are more than one or two players!
i can live with Mahmoudi and Razzaghnia’s interviews, they are very young….
yes they live there and are under pressure to sing IR anthem and to assist in some events but did you listen to their interviews with some extreme Khayemali: سرود ملی رو باید فریاد زد! And alot more BS!!!!!!

Did you wonder why such as Rezaeian, Torabi, Hajsafi, who were not invited in last year or so, all of sudden make even the squad?
and someone like Ahmad Nour who like Torabi left the camp was ignored again?

perhaps instead of calling people STUPID it would be better to think before posting!!!!!

Fair points on the numbers, I’ll give you that. It’s not one or two players, and I wasn’t trying to pretend otherwise.

But here’s where your argument still falls apart:

You’re mixing two different things together. Some players making statements you find objectionable, even deeply objectionable, is not the same as the entire squad being IRGC. That’s still a leap, and it’s still unfair to the players who said nothing, to the ones who kept their heads down, and to the fans who support Team Melli as a national symbol not a political one.

On the squad selection angle, yes, it’s suspicious. Coaches in Iran don’t operate in a vacuum and everyone knows that. But suspicious selection politics is an argument against the federation and government, not against every player wearing the shirt.

And on the anthem and the interviews, again, context matters. “The national anthem must be screamed” coming from someone living under that regime, during wartime, with a career and family on the line, is not the same as someone saying it freely.

You and I can sit here and judge what they should have said. They can’t afford that luxury.

Criticize the players who crossed a line, absolutely. But painting the whole squad with the same brush because you’re angry, and some of that anger is justified, is still sloppy thinking.

[Bavafa]

This whole energy, spending hours on a football forum tearing apart your own compatriots for not being vocal enough, for not being brave enough, for not hating the right things in the right way, is wasted energy. And worse than wasted, it’s divisive.

The people having these arguments all want the same thing for Iran. They just don’t all have the same circumstances, the same risks, or the same platform. Treating that difference as a moral failure is how movements eat themselves.

If you genuinely care about this cause and you live in North America, you have something most Iranians inside the country will never have: freedom to speak without consequences. Use it. Go out in person. Show up where the cameras are, where the politicians are, where the world is watching. Make noise that actually reaches people in power. That is activism.

What is not activism is coming onto a football forum and attacking people who support Team Melli because they haven’t performed their opposition to your satisfaction. That’s not holding anyone accountable. That’s just venting at the people closest to you because they’re easier to reach than the people actually responsible.

Direct the anger where it belongs.

[Afat11]

IR has purposely went out of their way to kill any enjoyment the people could get from this team. I respect people's wishes to still support this team if they want. I personally agree with others that seeing the crab flag and the players standing there uncomfortably while the national anthem plays barely mouthing words (losers like Beiranvand and Torabi singing at the top of their lungs), I can't help but root for NZ, Egypt and Belgium. That's just me, and you can do you, but even if someone could put aside the killing of tens of thousands of our hamvatans and TM being used as propaganda and wanting to ignore the politics of it altogether, this team is trash. I feel bad, I loved TM under CQ, but IR has done everything they can to erode this team down to nothing. We are ass-cheeks and will get our booties clapped prison style in USA. Sofi stadium is going to feel like playing hostile away games with anti-regime people in stadium booing the team. I personally wish nothing but embarrassment for IR, and I'd be a hypocrite if I wanted TM to go to semi finals and give these dickheads another propaganda piece to sell. I hope we get thrashed 4-0 each game and 8-0 by Belgium. It's what IR deserves. I won't fault those who choose to support, but I've been following TM a long time and barring some kind of deal with the devil (which I won't discount for IR evil bastards), this team is the lowest of the low outside of like 2010 with Mohamad Nouri and Mazair Zare as our TM starters.

IR invested all the money in terrorist proxies and let this team atrophy and decay. We had nice things, but it made people too excitable so IR killed it purposefully. Now they're using their destroyed TM to try to win brownie points as a powerful nation. All that money wasted on terrorists will pay dividends when we're embarrassed again on the international stage. I'm used to it, we Iranians don't deserve nice things until we finally can overcome the evil IR. Once that day comes, we will flourish, TM will be able to beat Qatar in an Asian cup match, it will be glorious. Until then, we will continue being a garbage third rate country and team.

[Sam van Dam]

I have supported Team melli non stop since 1996 to december 2025, i even supported them in 2022 during the Mahsa Amini uprisings because of exactly what you wrote

"TM will always be a source of national pride for us that’s why we are all here"

But after the january 2026 massacres everything changed when these spineless olagh players still accept invitation to play for that anti iranian shit flag who murdered over 50000 iranians with FOREIGN shiite proxies and yelling "heydar heydar" , not only do they accept to play for that filthy flag they also accepts to be IRGC propaganda wh*res.

Our biggest prospect in basketball Mohammad Amini is only 20 years old but he and team captain Behnam yakhchali declined to play under I.R flag after the massacres, that is sharaf, do they dont sacrifice their international carrers? One of them being only 20 years old, they did not say anything against I.R openly wich is understandeble but they did the least you expect, to not play for a occupation flag that hates Iran, iranians and iranian history and culture.

If you dont think the line have been crossed way to far this time around and that the situation is not like before its up to you, but alot of us woke up and see the naked truth.

F this team and players

I am going to ask you again, please stop dodging the question.

in WC 2022 the “Irgc” team refused to sing the IR anthem vs England. But vs wales and USA they sang the anthem.

Why do you think that is?

[perspolis#1]

"TM will always be a source of national pride for us that’s why we are all here"

But after the january 2026 massacres everything changed when these spineless olagh players still accept invitation to play for that anti iranian shit flag who murdered over 50000 iranians with FOREIGN shiite proxies and yelling "heydar heydar" , not only do they accept to play for that filthy flag they also accepts to be IRGC propaganda wh*res.


If you dont think the line have been crossed way to far this time around and that the situation is not like before its up to you, but alot of us woke up and see the naked truth.

Aziz,

Despite an alliance of Marxists and Islamists starting a revolution in Iran that went terribly wrong...

Despite the PLO training protesters
Despite them recruiting teenagers and kids to the frontlines of the Iran-Iraq War....
Despite them stoning women to death...

Reza Pahlavi offered to represent Iran as a pilot during that time. Was the right move too.

The truth is you will want to see what happens once the anthem plays and I promise you won't be disappointed

[Sam van Dam]

Aziz,

Despite an alliance of Marxists and Islamists starting a revolution in Iran that went terribly wrong...

Despite the PLO training protesters
Despite them recruiting teenagers and kids to the frontlines of the Iran-Iraq War....
Despite them stoning women to death...

Reza Pahlavi offered to represent Iran as a pilot during that time. Was the right move too.

the last two sentences is the most beautiful thing I’ve read here in the past year.

I wish I could like it over and over

thank you

i hope this opens up everyone’s eyes now

[Artaxerxes]

I am going to ask you again, please stop dodging the question.

in WC 2022 the “Irgc” team refused to sing the IR anthem vs England. But vs wales and USA they sang the anthem.

Why do you think that is?

Why are you still dodging every fact i gave you and just repeat the same question?

They got threatened by the same IRGC they still are willingly slaves for even after the january massacres.

I dont feel sorry for these traitors anymore, if you have a spine and love Iran you dont represent that shit flag anymore just like the example i gave you about the basketball players.

This is MY opinion and stance, you can go and cheer as much as you want, that is your right as much it is my right to give this IRGC team the middle finger.

[Artaxerxes]

Aziz,

Despite an alliance of Marxists and Islamists starting a revolution in Iran that went terribly wrong...

Despite the PLO training protesters
Despite them recruiting teenagers and kids to the frontlines of the Iran-Iraq War....
Despite them stoning women to death...

Reza Pahlavi offered to represent Iran as a pilot during that time. Was the right move too.

The truth is you will want to see what happens once the anthem plays and I promise you won't be disappointed

"Reza Pahlavi offered to represent Iran as a pilot during that time. Was the right move too."

This was in 1980 and Saddam attacked to take over iranian land and killed civilians after antar Khomeini tried to create havoc in Iraq for the shiite Iraqis to start a uprising against Saddam, so Reza Pahlavi wanted to help to protect the nation and at the same time it was a window of opportunity to get rid of I.R quick.

1980 was just one year after the fake revolution and times was way different back then, why do you think the I.R apes rejected? They knew that the majority of the army still were loyal to the crown, that is why they created the IRGC , to expand their shit ideology and protect I.R not Iran.

I dont get how you gave this example that is nowhere in line with footballers that willingly represents a IRGC led team and being used as propaganda sheeps after all these years and especially after the january massacres when they can decline just like the example i gave agha Sam about the basketball players.

[Sam van Dam]

Why are you still dodging every fact i gave you and just repeat the same question?

They got threatened by the same IRGC they still are willingly slaves for even after the january massacres.

I dont feel sorry for these traitors anymore, if you have a spine and love Iran you dont represent that shit flag anymore just like the example i gave you about the basketball players.

This is MY opinion and stance, you can go and cheer as much as you want, that is your right as much it is my right to give this IRGC team the middle finger.

Yes they got threatened… so if they boycott the WC you don’t think they’d face a punishment?

azmoun most likely got his assets in Iran seized for taking a photo with the emir of UAE

And please use can’t compare a 20 year baskeball player that hardly anyone knows to our TM.

TM is the biggest propaganda tool for the IR right now with the World Cup coming up.

[Artaxerxes]

Yes they got threatened… so if they boycott the WC you don’t think they’d face a punishment?

azmoun most likely got his assets in Iran seized for taking a photo with the emir of UAE

And please use can’t compare a 20 year baskeball player that hardly anyone knows to our TM.

TM is the biggest propaganda tool for the IR right now with the World Cup coming up.

Ofcurse i can compare him and the team captain Behnam Yakhchali to these traitor TM football players, they throwed their international carriers, that is huge for a 20 year old who also was a nba prospect.

Because YOU maybe dont know them because you dont follow basketball does not mean that they are not well known in Iran, do you think our useless team is known globaly besides maybe Taremi and Jahanbaksh?

The difference is these guys took a stance directly after the massacres in january while these traitors in TM football just shut the f up and took no stance besides spreading IRGC propaganda after a while and now even if they wanted to boycott its to late because WC is around the corner.

They could just reject from start without saying this or that, just that they dont can/want to play, if they had done it from start it would be different.

You and me will never agree on this, you go and cheer for these players and i boycott them, each to their own.

[Clockwork]

Ofcurse i can compare him and the team captain Behnam Yakhchali to these traitor TM football players, they throwed their international carriers, that is huge for a 20 year old who also was i nba prospect.

Because YOU maybe dont know them because you dont follow basketball does not mean that they are not well known in Iran, do you think our useless team is known globaly besides maybe Taremi and Jahanbaksh?

The difference is these guys took a stance directly after the massacres in january while these traitors in TM football just shut the f up and took no stance besides spreading IRGC propaganda after a while and now even if they wanted to boycott its to late because WC is around the corner.

They could just reject from start without saying this or that, just that they dont can/want to play, if they had done it from start it would be different.

You and me will never agree on this, you go and cheer for these players and i boycott them, each to their own.

Exactly, so why are you blithering on in this thread? Go to the iran should be banned thread or get a life off of a football forum

[Artaxerxes]

Exactly, so why are you blithering on in this thread? Go to the iran should be banned thread or get a life off of a football forum

I am blithering here ke tou hers bokhori, tou az koja omadi? Did i discuss with you? But now since YOU jumped in this with me when i never even discussed with you....

You still have that olagh Andranik as your avatar after he said "we play for Islamic republic and want to rise the beloved and proud flag of the Islamic Republic in the world cup , not once did he mentioned IRAN, jamesh kon va khejalat bekesh.

Maybe you too one day will wake up and see the fact that this time around its not like before, you cant go with the argument " its just football " anymore, not my problem that you get mad because some of us give you the naked truth.

I wont spoil your "fun" anymore in your football forum where you worrying more about lineups than the truth, go and cheer for these traitors in the Wc , have fun while our people gets hanged by the same filths these players are sucking up too.

Maybe you too will wake up one day or maybe not.

Now go back and put your head in the sand again.

[arasradio]

The discussions here have become so toxic that it’s hard to even reply anymore. The mullahs, world powers, and our ineffective opposition have managed to divide us as a nation. Our team players are being attacked from both extreme sides of politics.

Hardliners in Iran ask why the team should go to a country that, in recent years and wars, has been involved in the deaths of thousands of Iranians. On the other side, monarchists and far-right groups ask how anyone could represent the Islamic Republic; while many of these same forces were making “Jam-e Jahani” anthems and celebrating football during the years the mullahs were executing leftists and Mojaheds throughout the 80s, 90s, and beyond.

Meanwhile ordinary people just watch all this unfold and lose more hope for a better future.

Personally, I’m not even writing here much anymore because football simply doesn’t excite me the way it once did. After so many deaths caused by the regime and by wars across Iran and the region, it has killed the appetite in me. And I know many people who feel the same way.

I, like millions, also lost interest in watching a low quality tournament like the World Cup, where FIFA has expanded it to the point that teams like Qatar, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde, New Zealand, and many others qualify. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy for their people. But FIFA has watered this tournament down badly.

And honestly, I’m almost certain Iran won’t even end up in the World Cup. So no need to tear yourselves apart. No need to attack each other for something that won’t most likely happen. Not because the world hates the Islamic Republic. Not because the opposition wants FIFA to ban Iran. No. Mark my words: the mullahs themselves will refuse to travel to the United States. Hardliners inside Iran will eventually push for a boycott over the killing of dictator Khamenei.

I invite all of you to tolerate one another during these dark and painful days. We lost thousands during the uprisings against the regime, and thousands more in wars. Our country has been devastated. Historical sites damaged. Our people suffering, imprisoned, exhausted by their own government.

Unprecedented digital darkness. An IRGC takeover of a nation. Executions. Fear. Silence. And the list goes on.

The people of Iran no longer truly have a voice. Yes, there are many voices outside the country claiming to represent them, speaking on their behalf every day. But we rarely hear the people themselves: their own cry, in their own time, with their own words and pain.

Please do not turn against one another so easily. We are already carrying enough wounds as a nation.

Please don’t turn on each other here with endless insults and toxicity. We are all in pain. Listen to one another. Try to understand one another. There is no need for constant swearing and attacks.

As a nation, we are all under attack already.

[perspolis#1]

"Reza Pahlavi offered to represent Iran as a pilot during that time. Was the right move too."

This was in 1980 and Saddam attacked to take over iranian land and killed civilians after antar Khomeini tried to create havoc in Iraq for the shiite Iraqis to start a uprising against Saddam, so Reza Pahlavi wanted to help to protect the nation and at the same time it was a window of opportunity to get rid of I.R quick.

1980 was just one year after the fake revolution and times was way different back then, why do you think the I.R apes rejected? They knew that the majority of the army still were loyal to the crown, that is why they created the IRGC , to expand their shit ideology and protect I.R not Iran.

I dont get how you gave this example that is nowhere in line with footballers that willingly represents a IRGC led team and being used as propaganda sheeps after all these years and especially after the january massacres when they can decline just like the example i gave agha Sam about the basketball players.

No they cannot just decline it. To people who are known there are severe consequences for such a thing. The basketball players sacrificed a lot yes but compare it to where Rashid Mazaheri is now.

As I said, if you have faith in Iranians who are against the regime I hope you have faith in what we can do once that anthem plays.

Just today there was a NYT article about FIFA potentially banning shir o khorshid out of fear. Look at the response on IranInternational and NYT comments. Everyone is planning on taking it now. They made a huge mistake now! They have hyped Iranians now more than ever to make a scene...

I can live in the US and live a good life without EVER thinking about Trump, Obama, Clinton, etc. In Iran, everywhere these players are its the regime at every turn watching them.

[Sam van Dam]

GN saw this and said nah we don’t need him

:/