Iran is preparing for the debut of an at times absurd World Cup against New Zealand: even if much of the energy has been allocated to managing external pressures, the team coached by Amir Ghalenoei tries to concentrate on the competition
Beyond the visas denied and the managers blocked in Mexico due to accusations of closeness to the Pasdaran, beyond the hastily changed training fields and the quick flights to set foot in American territory and then return after the match. Even beyond the last incandescent case of the flags: the pre-revolution ones of 1979, symbol of the opponents of the Iranian regime, which would have been banned by FIFA in the stadiums. Beyond all this noise, only the silence of the camp should remain. And there, on the field, Iran is preparing for the debut of an at times absurd World Cup against New Zealand: even if much of the energy has been allocated to managing external pressures, the team coached by Amir Ghalenoei tries to concentrate on the competition with the colorful experience with which it presents itself at the World Cup. Here, then, are some of the stories of the Iranians present at the World Cup, except one.
the homeless man who seemed Christian
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In the novel of the World Cup, Alireza Beiranvand is one of the most unlikely characters. Born in Lorestan, a mountainous region in western Iran, he belongs to a nomadic family. As a child he spent part of his childhood following the movements of the tribe: we were light years away from a pro context, but his dream, opposed by his family, was to become a goalkeeper. Still a teenager, Beiranvand leaves home and moves to Tehran alone to try: no money, no contacts, nowhere to live. He sleeps on the street, in public parks, in bus stations. To support himself, he carries out any activity: he sells tea, washes cars, collects recyclable waste, works as a labourer. When he finally enters the youth sector of Naft Tehran, life changes. From there he began his climb to becoming the starting goalkeeper for the Iranian national team and, in 2018, making the history of Asian football: he saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo during the World Cup in Russia. Thus the homeless boy became a symbol of Persia.
Persian Swedish
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If Beiranvand represents deep Iran, Saman Ghoddos instead tells the other side of the country: that of the diaspora. Born in Malmö, Sweden, in 1993: his parents left Iran after the Islamic revolution and built a new life in Northern Europe. Ghoddos grew up completely immersed in Swedish culture: he attends Scandinavian schools, plays in the local youth teams and speaks the language of the country that saw him born perfectly. Everything seems ready to wear the yellow jersey of the Vikings, with whom he played in the youth national teams, then the choice. When Iran contacted him, Ghoddos decided to represent his family’s country of origin. One’s profound identity wins, recognizing a cultural and family bond that has never been broken despite the geographical distance. For millions of Iranians who have emigrated to Europe, North America and Australia, Ghoddos has become a symbol: he represents the often complicated relationship between the diaspora and the homeland. And in a World Cup that is being played in the United States, where one of the largest Iranian communities abroad lives, his figure takes on an even stronger meaning.
the pioneer
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Today seeing an Iranian footballer in the European leagues is no longer surprising. But when Alireza Jahanbakhsh left her country to move to the Netherlands in 2013, it was much less common. He starts very young, 19 years old, and arrives in a completely new environment, with an unknown language and football very different from Iranian football. The first years are complicated and isolating, even cultural, but the attacker is stubborn and, as time passes, he manages to impose himself. First at NEC and then at AZ Alkmaar, where he reached the highest point of his European career: in the 2017-18 season he became the Eredivisie’s top scorer, never has another son of Iran reached those heights. For many young Iranians, Jahanbakhsh is the first true European role model, even more so than the real star of the national team, Mehdi Taremi, who has a Champions League final on his CV.
the man of memory
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Every team needs a sage, someone who knows the past and who leads into the future. In Iran that role belongs to Ehsan Hajsafi, now 36 years old: when he made his debut with the national team, many of the current players called up were still teenagers and once watched him admiringly on TV. He has spanned over 18 years of Iranian football history, seen coaches, generations and game systems change, but his importance goes beyond the pitch: over the years Hajsafi has become a respected figure also for his role in the most delicate moments of the national team. After the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old victim of beatings suffered after being arrested three days earlier by the Iranian moral police because she was accused of not wearing the hijab correctly, protests set the country on fire. It was 2022: the words spoken by the captain before the World Cup in Qatar went around the world. While maintaining a very cautious tone, he publicly recognizes the suffering of many Iranian families. In a national team forced to dance on the edge of the abyss, in balance between sport and politics, a minimum is enough to stand out.
the champion who isn’t there
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This time the story of the team (and what is around it) is an absence, discussed and controversial. For years Sardar Azmoun was considered the purest talent produced by Iranian football in the 21st century: fine-grained technique, ability in front of goal, international experience, Taremi’s perfect colleague. At a very young age he attracted the attention of Russian clubs and began a European career which led him to score consistently and earn the nickname “Iranian Messi”, with a brief loan spell at Roma as well. In recent years, however, his name has also been associated with political tensions within Iran. During the protests that erupted after Mahsa’s death Amini was among the few to publish messages of support for the demonstrators, attracting the attention of the authorities and becoming a particularly controversial figure. His exclusion from the final World Cup list has inevitably fueled questions. It is also useless to ask whether the political context had an impact.
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