World Cup fever muted in Iran under shadow of war, hardship

In a Tehran neighbourhood dotted with shops selling football jerseys and sporting goods, 10-year-old Helma was already feeling World Cup fever.

“I’m supporting Iran because it’s always the champion!” she said, sporting a bracelet in the green, white and red of the national flag. “This year, it will be number one out of all the countries!”

Holding a shopping bag containing a national team jersey, her mother explained that Helma was set to appear in a video clip supporting Iran’s side, adding: “We came to buy Team Melli outfits for the shoot.”

But after weeks of war with Israel and the United States — one of the co-hosts of this year’s tournament — not to mention persistent economic hardship and stuttering efforts to bring the conflict to a final close, not every Iranian shares the grade-schooler’s excitement.

At a shop in the same district, 17-year-old employee Houman said Portugal jerseys were the bestsellers, with Spain and Brazil also popular.

“This World Cup is different for Iranians,” he said. “I don’t see the same enthusiasm as past editions.”

Team Melli’s aspirations on the field have been overshadowed by what has been an especially trying year for Iranians. It began with anti-government protests — described as foreign-backed riots by the government — that rights groups say were met with a deadly crackdown.

Then came the US-Israeli strikes that launched the war, which only worsened an economic crunch defined by hyperinflation and a currency freefall.

The national team has also faced challenges of its own, with its US visas held up until the night before their departure.

Iran’s squad has had to change its base for the tournament to Mexico, and even with the visas, they must enter and leave US soil on the same day as any match, Tehran’s ambassador to Mexico said on Saturday.

‘No excitement at all’

Shervin, a 42-year-old photographer from Tehran, was among those finding it difficult to get excited about the football.

“In Iran, no one truly cares about football now, just as no one seems to care about the hardship and difficult living conditions of the Iranian people,” he told AFP journalists based in Paris. “It makes me angry.”

Iran’s first World Cup match will be played in Los Angeles against New Zealand.

“The situation looks particularly difficult for the national team players, who have to play in a country Iran is in conflict with,” said Mohammad Pahlevan, an 18-year-old high school student wearing an AC Milan jersey.

Still, Team Melli “got lucky” with its draw, he added. “They can make it out of the group stage this year.”

Meanwhile, Ali, a self-professed football fanatic from the northern city of Tonekabon, said he wasn’t in the mood this year after decades of fandom.

“As someone who has loved football and followed every World Cup since 1994, it’s heartbreaking to realise that I feel no excitement at all for the upcoming tournament,” the 49-year-old told Paris-based AFP journalists.