ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) – Iranian soccer players and officials posed with photos of children allegedly killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes before Tuesday’s World Cup preliminaries against Costa Rica.
There were no spectators at the stadium in Antalya, but the FIFA president Gianni Infantino It existed.
The Iranian players were joined by coach Amir Ghalenoei, Iranian Football Federation vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi and staff, and held up photos while singing the national anthem.
Iran won the match 5-0.
The players’ gestures appeared after them. carrying a small backpack It was held Friday to commemorate the victims of a deadly missile attack on an elementary school in southern Iran, ahead of an upcoming warm-up with Nigeria. The February 28 strike killed more than 165 people, most of them children. probably launched by the US.
Neither the United States nor Israel has accepted responsibility for the attack, which has been widely criticized by the United Nations and human rights groups. The U.S. military said it was investigating and would never target civilians.
Iran’s government and soccer officials said they had no intention of boycotting the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, in June, but said the national team’s trip to the United States would not be possible because of the war started by the United States and Israel.
Iran’s ambassador in Mexico City said his country had asked FIFA to host the three matches in Mexico following US President Donald Trump’s decision. disappointed The team refrained from participating, citing safety concerns.
Infantino said FIFA wanted the tournament to be held “as planned”, putting a damper on Iran’s attempts to change the match.
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