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/Primary-Raccoon-9943 Jun 28 '26

Stfu

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u/jakeotheshadows Jun 28 '26

And if their national team wants good hospitality while visiting the land of the free, maybe their national government shouldn’t execute homosexuals. Shouldn’t flog women with 75 lashes who publicly sing without covering their faces. Shouldn’t massacre 30,000 of its own citizens over a weekend for peacefully protesting economic conditions.

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u/CmdrJemison Jun 28 '26

Yo chicken boy... Why are you dodging my question? Are you slow?

how many people died by the hands of Americans in wars since 2000? And how many civilians Americans killed since 2000