Posted on 11/21/22
| News Source: i24
Players stay silent before their first game of the tournament against England
Iran's players stayed silent during the playing of their country's national anthem on Monday before their first game against England for the World Cup in Qatar.
The players stood stone-faced as the camera panned on each of their faces ahead of the match against England, which they eventually lost by a final score of 6-2.
The move was apparently to show solidarity with ongoing protests in Iran against the regime in Tehran.
Ahead of the game in Qatar, captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh said the team would decide together whether or not to refuse to sing the anthem in a show of solidarity for demonstrations that have rocked the regime in Iran.
The Iranian players stood impassively and grim-faced as their anthem rang out around the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.