Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the assassination of Major-General Qasem Soleimani, a high ranking officer in the Irani military.
As tension rises in the Middle East and around the world, it affects many scopes of life and football is no exception. The U.S and Iran have been butting heads for quite some time, but it has been more than 20 years since they’ve last met on the pitch during the 1998 World Cup in France. Before we dive into how the current tension affects players and teams, let’s go back to that game that was at least as much about politics as it was about sporting achievements.
Both teams were seeded in Group F along with superpowers Yugoslavia and Germany and had no real expectations of qualifying. The teams met on Matchday 2, and not without the anticipated portion of political drama. According to the match draw, Iran was team “B” which meant they had to walk towards the U.S team for a pre-game handshake. The supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamanei, directed the players to stay in place and refrain from walking towards the American squad as a sign of protest. After some delicate negotiations, the U.S players agreed to walk towards the Iranians, who in turn gifted their rivals with white roses as a symbol of peace. The U.S team, although being the bigger men, came on the pitch empty-handed providing curious viewers from around the world with an incredibly awkward photo.
In what was referred to as the most political game in football history, Iran scored late in each half for a 2-1 victory which sent their supporters in Lyon’s Stade de Gerland celebrating. Since neither team managed to qualify to the knock-out rounds, the match was really only for bragging rights and was the last encounter between the national teams of these countries.
Back in 2020, the current tension affects teams and players on both sides. For instance, the US Men’s National Team was scheduled to hold their annual January training camp in Qatar, but due to the risk decided to relocate to Florida. This was not an easy decision to make – the team was looking forward to using Qatar’s world-class facilities and hold a friendly match with Jesse Marsch’s Red Bull Salzburg, who are also conducting their winter training camp there. It was also an opportunity to call in some new faces who are playing across the pond, such as Ulysses Llanez from Wolfsburg of the German Bundesliga, and Christian Cappis from Hobro IK of the Danish Superliga. But, due to the rising tension, all these plans have now been scratched.
Although it was implied there might have been political pressure forcing the team to “return to safety”, the decision seems to have been made independently by the U.S. Soccer Federation. Most commentators agreed that personal safety was a priority, and lives could not be risked in the area, especially since it is hard to anticipate Iran’s reaction to the assassination. Other critics claim the federation was over-reacting, and that the whole matter would calm down within a few days.
Even though it is highly unlikely for Iran to attack the American squad, it would not be the first time athletes were targeted for political reasons. A relatively recent example is the attack on Togo’s African Cup of Nations squad in 2010 in Angola, killing two staff members and injuring many others.
We should also consider the US Soccer Federation needed little encouragement to pull out of Qatar. Thousands of workers died while building the new world-class stadiums for the 2022 World Cup, and numerous accusations suggest Qatar bought its bid to host the world cup with generous bribes. If the U.S. didn’t send a delegation to the 1980 Moscow Olympics due to an economic disagreement, they definitely shouldn’t overlook the abuse of human rights.
Five days after the U.S Soccer Federation announced its change of plan came the second headliner. Sergiño Dest, the national team’s golden boy who plays for Ajax Amsterdam, requested to leave the team’s winter training camp in Qatar and return to The Netherlands. It is safe to assume Dest didn’t feel comfortable staying in the Persian Gulf at the current circumstances. The team showed understanding and supported his request, and while he is not a high profile player who might be considered a target, safety does come first.
It has been a week full of surprises for the USMNT, and while plans have changed there is a small benefit to the situation - the February 1st match against Costa Rica will now be played in California, allowing more people to watch the game as it won’t be held in some obscene hour for American viewers.
Hopefully, the team can put the drama behind them and play well against Los Ticos, and that Sergiño Dest’s decision doesn’t affect his career drastically. This week was a big reminder that football and geopolitics go hand in hand, and their mutual effect on one another will never cease to surprise us.
Thumbnail photo by the Asian Football Confederation official Facebook page.