Tribute Before Kick-off

Ahead of their friendly match against Costa Rica in Türkiye on Tuesday, Iran's national football team held a solemn tribute. Players and team officials posed with photographs of children who were killed during the ongoing Middle East conflict.

During the national anthem, every Iranian player held a photograph of a victim. The gesture took place near the city of Antalya, shortly before the team secured a 5-0 victory.

Officials Join the Commemoration

Prominent figures were among those participating in the tribute. Iran's head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, and the vice-president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, both held photographs of the deceased.

The images represented victims of an air strike on a school in the southern Iranian city of Minab on February 28. Officials stated that the strike, which occurred on the first day of the US-Israeli assault, resulted in at least 170 deaths, including both students and teachers.

Official Statements and Context

Mohammad Hassan Habibollah Zadeh, Iran's ambassador to Ankara, attended the match and addressed the team's actions. He stated that Iran is facing an unjust and brutal aggression, making it a responsibility for the national team to show solidarity with their people.

This is not the first time the team has honored the victims. Before their previous friendly against Nigeria last Friday, players held up children's schoolbags as a tribute to those lost in the Minab school strike.

According to reports from The New York Times, preliminary findings from a US military investigation suggest that a US Tomahawk cruise missile struck the school due to a targeting error.

World Cup Participation Confirmed

FIFA president Gianni Infantino attended Tuesday's match and confirmed that Iran will participate in the World Cup. This announcement addresses previous doubts regarding the team's status due to the ongoing war.

Infantino also clarified that Iran will play their group matches in the United States as originally scheduled. This follows earlier reports that the Iranian federation was attempting to negotiate with FIFA to relocate their matches to Mexico.

Iran's upcoming schedule includes:

  • June 15: vs. New Zealand in Los Angeles
  • June 21: vs. Belgium in Los Angeles
  • June 26: vs. Egypt in Seattle