Iranian players didn't sing their national anthem before their opening World Cup match against England this afternoon.
The players stood silently on the pitch while the national anthem played in what is being seen by many as a protest against the current regime after months of unrest. Some Team Melli fans at the Khalifa International Stadium could be heard jeering to drown out the sound of the anthem before the match.
Hundreds of protestors have died in Iran's capital, Tehran, and other major cities following the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police custody. The 22-year-old woman was arrested under Iran's strict law around women's dressing, and was accused of not wearing her hijab correctly.
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Iranian police say she died of a heart attack while in custody, but her family claim she had no history of heart disease. Her death has sparked protests across Iran and protests both in the country and across the rest of the world.
Saman Ghoddos, the only Iranian in the Premier League, last week told Mirror Football that it was right for players to speak up in support of those who are calling for change - regardless of potential repercussions. “Of course,” the Brentford player said of feeling a responsibility to stand up and back the protestors.
He added: “I don't want to mix politics with football but football is coming to the side right now, because people are losing their lives fighting for freedom. Clearly a change needs to come and it's already been going on for so long. We all want to change.
“If you think it’s the right thing to do, I think you should [speak out] because you’re a famous athlete. If you can put a light on what’s going on you should do it – with pressure or without pressure because it’s the right thing to do.”
Ghoddos added: "No one is happy about it, everybody wants to see a change. It’s a change that is very easy. What the people want is nothing special, it’s just freedom. I don’t want to say ‘Yeah, go fight for it’ because I don’t think violence is the right way. But something has to change and this has been going on for too long."
On whether Iran should be allowed to play in the World Cup, Ghoddos said: "“I don’t know if it’s the right decision to kick us out. I don’t know if anything will change because of that. It’s better to change what the real problem is, not to kick the football side out of the World Cup.”
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