World: Iran – United States, a football affair –

If there was a point of agreement between the Iranian players and many supporters who came to support them against the United States on Tuesday evening in Doha, it was the reluctance to make this poster of the World Cup-2022 anything other than a sports meeting.

If there was a point of agreement between the Iranian players and many supporters who came to support them against the United States on Tuesday evening in Doha, it was the reluctance to make this poster of the World Cup-2022 anything other than a sports meeting.

The atmosphere in the stands of the al-Thumama stadium was electric at times, with fiery Iranian supporters briefly scalded by Christian Pulisic’s goal, then silenced by the defeat (1-0).

But in the end, far from the emotional charges of Iran’s first two games against England (2-6) and Wales (2-0), it was a classic FIFA World Cup match atmosphere with for stake a qualification for the round of 16, won by the Americans. Smiling in the tunnel, the Iranian players also appeared much less tense than for the two previous matches.

Equally classic were the images of the defeated eliminated and beaten, going to greet their supporters at the end of the match.

Before it took place, however, it was not the sporting issue that had caused a lot of talk, but the political dimension of a disputed meeting between two countries that did not have diplomatic relations and in a context of violently repressed revolt. in the Islamic Republic.

After incidents around symbols linked to this protest in the stadiums of the World Cup, Fifa replied that certain marks of support for the demonstrators were authorized, according to a document consulted on Tuesday by AFP, such as the slogan « Women, life, freedom « , emblematic of the movement triggered on September 16 by the death of Mahsa Amini and repressed in blood.

The same goes for the portraits of this 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, who died after being arrested by the morality police in Tehran for not respecting the strict dress code imposed by the regime.

– ‘I like football’ –

They were not absent, but they were in the end discreet. Did whistles welcome the anthem of the Islamic Republic? No doubt, but they were swallowed up by the immense clamor of the supporters to encourage their team. And most Iranian flags were those of the Islamic Republic, with its characteristic symbol at its center.

Many supporters present expressed their desire to confine themselves to sport.

Seyed Mohammad, a 31-year-old Iranian living in Qatar, admits, « it’s a special and sensitive meeting, we can’t deny it ». « I don’t play politics but it’s true that given the events in Iran, a victory would bring joy to people », continued before the match this man « who came only to support the Iranian team », « because that I love football, regardless of the team in front ».

This meeting was the revenge of the « brotherhood match », played during the 1998 World Cup, the only official competition between these two countries.

– ‘USA! USA!’ –

Many Iranian supporters on Tuesday wore T-shirts recalling this moment, or flocked in the name of Mehdi Mahdavikia, the decisive scorer of this meeting.

More than Iran’s victory (2-1), it is remembered for the scenes of fraternization between the two teams who took the official pre-match photo together and exchanged flowers and pennants. A historic match played at a time of thaw between the Islamic Republic and the West.

If such relaxation is well forgotten, supporters of the two teams fraternized on Tuesday, in the metro and around the stadium, taking pictures together. Many of them are equipped with flags in the colors of the two countries.

« There is only our flag that counts with our three colors, green, white, red. There is no particular symbolism around this match », annoys Morteza, who came from Karaj, near Tehran.

« I don’t want to talk about politics (…). Politics and sport are two separate things, whether in the United States, in England or in Iran », said before the match Alireza, 49, who came from Isfahan (center).

Coming from Chicago to support the United States, Al Curtis did not say anything else before kick-off: « The whole world feels sympathy for them, but we have to win this game. » The American was answered and the echo of « USA! USA! » which closed the evening, was purely sporting.

By Keyvan NARAGHI and Nicolas GAUDICHET / Doha (AFP) / © 2022 AFP