The 2026 World Cup starts today!
Football is a sport I grew up with, and I've been passionate about the game both as a fan and as a player since elementary school—which feels like a million years ago, of course!... In fact, I sometimes measure my age by how many World Cups I've lived through! That probably gives you a sense of just how obsessed I am with the game.
That said, while I'm incredibly excited to witness another World Cup, I have very mixed feelings about the team representing my country of birth. After everything that has happened over the past year or so, I honestly don't know whether to cheer or boo.
I cannot stand hearing the so-called IR national anthem, and although I understand the difficult position many of the players are in, I am still critical of their silence regarding the more than 35,000 people who have been killed by the regime. Every match involving Iran will carry a political charge. It won't be easy to separate football from reality.
Incidentally, if both the United States and Iran finish second in their respective groups, they would meet in the knockout stage. That would surely rank among the most politically charged World Cup matches ever played—although the tournament has seen its share of such encounters throughout history.
One notable example comes from the 1938 World Cup, held just months before World War II began. Italy faced Hungary in the final in Paris, and before the match, Benito Mussolini reportedly sent the Italian team a telegram containing his infamous slogan: "Win or die" (Vincere o morire). While it was likely intended as a fascist rallying cry, the players reportedly took it very seriously. Italy went on to defeat Hungary 4–2 and retain the title. Years later, Hungarian goalkeeper Antal Szabó darkly joked about the defeat, saying: "I may have let in four goals, but at least I saved their lives."
Could history echo itself in some form? One can only imagine a modern authoritarian leader sending a similarly chilling message before a politically charged match.
In any case, I hope you enjoy this World Cup. There aren't many of them in a lifetime, and each one reminds us just how quickly the years pass.
Football is a sport I grew up with, and I've been passionate about the game both as a fan and as a player since elementary school—which feels like a million years ago, of course!... In fact, I sometimes measure my age by how many World Cups I've lived through! That probably gives you a sense of just how obsessed I am with the game.
That said, while I'm incredibly excited to witness another World Cup, I have very mixed feelings about the team representing my country of birth. After everything that has happened over the past year or so, I honestly don't know whether to cheer or boo.
I cannot stand hearing the so-called IR national anthem, and although I understand the difficult position many of the players are in, I am still critical of their silence regarding the more than 35,000 people who have been killed by the regime. Every match involving Iran will carry a political charge. It won't be easy to separate football from reality.
Incidentally, if both the United States and Iran finish second in their respective groups, they would meet in the knockout stage. That would surely rank among the most politically charged World Cup matches ever played—although the tournament has seen its share of such encounters throughout history.
One notable example comes from the 1938 World Cup, held just months before World War II began. Italy faced Hungary in the final in Paris, and before the match, Benito Mussolini reportedly sent the Italian team a telegram containing his infamous slogan: "Win or die" (Vincere o morire). While it was likely intended as a fascist rallying cry, the players reportedly took it very seriously. Italy went on to defeat Hungary 4–2 and retain the title. Years later, Hungarian goalkeeper Antal Szabó darkly joked about the defeat, saying: "I may have let in four goals, but at least I saved their lives."
Could history echo itself in some form? One can only imagine a modern authoritarian leader sending a similarly chilling message before a politically charged match.
In any case, I hope you enjoy this World Cup. There aren't many of them in a lifetime, and each one reminds us just how quickly the years pass.
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