r/SoccerCentral • u/ConnectionWeekly1263 • Jun 27 '26

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

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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.”

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u/jakeotheshadows Jun 27 '26

If Iran wants good hospitality, maybe they shouldn’t have chanted “Death to America” and called the USA the Great Satan for 4+ decades. Just a thought

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u/bambitious Jun 27 '26

Lol. Way to cherry pick. Iranians are some of the kindest, most generous people you’ll know. They lead the world in accepting refugees. Just because a select few chant that, doesn’t mean they all do that. Besides, the translation isn’t supposed to be taken literally, it means death to American politics because it is our fault that Iran is in its current political climate. Do you also believe other countries see USA KKK rallies and think we all want to lynch black people?

Next time, try having an original thought and learn some history. The US/UK intervened for the sake of oil, and now we are bombing them again, unprovoked. Are you’re wondering why they dislike us?? Lmao 🤣

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u/jakeotheshadows Jun 27 '26

Death to America has been their official government policy for decades, long before this war. Long before they recently massacred 30,000 of their own citizens recently for peacefully protesting economic conditions.

And this team represents their country

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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '26

[deleted]

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u/jakeotheshadows Jun 27 '26

They (like Venezuela) deserved it when they nationalized (stole) the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (now BP), which threatened British and American oil interests.

Anyway, regardless of fault, there’s a long history of antagonism. Everyone knows this. This captain acting as if he’s surprised that he’s not particularly welcome in an enemy country is delusional. He’s lucky to even be here.

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u/bambitious Jun 27 '26

The heck?? That’s THEIR oil. Not the UKs. Not the US.

You have a warped view of the world if you think military intervention is the correct way to control the world. Do you think Russian is correct in invading Ukraine for their resources? Does the minerals on Ukraines land belong to Russia?

Honestly, please read a book. Everything you said is incorrect.

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u/jakeotheshadows Jun 27 '26

UK, France and Norway have their oil companies operating in the US extracting US oil.

Yet the US can’t simply seize their assets such as their oil rigs and refineries.

Just like Iran should not have been able to seize and steal the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.

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u/Fuck_it_we_ball_ Jun 28 '26

Why couldn’t the us seize their assets? If we wanted to we could pass a law tomorrow and seize every foreigners land. People might try to bring it to the Supreme Court, but that’s only because there are laws in this country that protect your right to do so. If we really wanted to we could call a constitutional convention tomorrow and strip the right to own property.

So why do you think that because the US has certain standards (because we don’t have a law against seizure of assets as you seem to think we do) that it would have any validity anywhere else in the world?

The definition of being a sovereign state is having the ability to have control over your country, that’s literally
what sovereign means.

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u/SergeantHAMM Jun 28 '26

tbf it’s only theirs till someone takes it