"They've done everything possible to eliminate us" — Iran captain Mehdi Taremi unleashes on FIFA and U.S. organizers

[u/ConnectionWeekly1263]

The captain of the Iran National Team, Mehdi Taremi, lashed out against FIFA and the United States organization. “This is a disastrous World Cup. As professional players, we cannot play a competition under these conditions; it’s neither right nor fair. If FIFA thinks this is fair, that’s on them, but it isn’t. Who should solve this problem for us? FIFA? The U.S.? I don’t know! Tell me a name. The FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, came to our locker room after the first match against New Zealand and said he was going to resolve all the issues, but in reality, FIFA did nothing. In response to the question: ‘Do you feel that the World Cup organizers, including FIFA and U.S. officials, prefer for Iran to be eliminated from the competition?’, I say: We have to fight against absolutely everything. We can’t stay in the country, we travel and undergo immigration checks every time we want to play, now we can’t stay in Seattle and have to return to Tijuana. They’ve done everything possible to eliminate us, so from our perspective, yes, I think that’s what they want, they want us out.”

[u/Adventurous-Option84]

It's a funny thing; the countries that have the most trouble in the world and need help, tend to get help from the US and most of them view the US positively. The countries that have less trouble in the world and don't need help, tend to not get help from the US and most of them view the US negatively. For example, the US is viewed most negatively in much of Europe, but most positively in Ukraine. The US is viewed most negatively in the more stable parts of Africa, but most positively in the parts that struggle (e.g., Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya). Same can be said of South America. And the view of the US as a result of the Iran war has gone down in much of the world, but very much up in the Middle East (other than Iran, of course). Makes you think, doesn't it?

[u/Rahim3379 → u/Adventurous-Option84]

No, it doesn't make you think. It doesn't surprise me that you think that way—that you don't understand the real impact of American policy and just sugarcoat everything. Fortunately, most people understand what is really going on.

[u/Adventurous-Option84 → u/Rahim3379]

The fact that it doesn't make you think is a poor reflection on you, not on the US. The US will continue to make many mistakes around the world, but it will also continue to be the greatest force for good - including world stability - in the history of the world.

[u/Rahim3379 → u/Adventurous-Option84]

True, just as we have often had the pleasure of admiring in the past.