Iranian state television censored footage of the Iran team refusing to sing the national anthem ahead of the country’s opening match of the World Cup against England.
Irib TV3, operated by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), also muted the live feed when anti-regime chants could be heard.
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There have been widespread protests against Iran’s conservative clerical leadership, which has ruled the country since 1979.
These protests were provoked by the death of Mahsa Amini in September, a 22-year-old woman who was killed by the morality police for wearing her hijab incorrectly.
The Oslo-based Iran Human Rights group says that at least 326 people have been killed across 22 provinces, including 43 children.
According to multiple sources in Iran, who asked to remain anonymous for their own safety, footage from the state television broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), stopped a live stream of the anthem halfway through after seeing the players’ actions.
They showed the first three Iran players failing to sing, before cutting off the feed when the third successive player was failing to sing. Instead, the screen showed a wide shot of the stadium, rather than the players, with the music continuing.
International rights holders receive multiple feeds, with the director able to choose between them during the warm-ups, anthems, and post-match activity. There is a standard shared match feed, which all broadcasters use during play.
Throughout the broadcast, whenever the chant “bisharaf”, meaning “dishonourable”, was heard, the sound from the stadium was cut.
Access to the internet, tightly controlled by the government, was also shut down after the game.
Channel 3 footage also showed several sites across Iran, filled with Iran supporters cheering, which sources state were created by the regime to demonstrate support. Many other Iran supporters were supporting England during the match due to their anger at the regime.
Failure to sing the national anthem is popularly seen as a tacit act of resistance. Several members of the Iran team have spoken out to demonstrate their support for protestors, including striker Sardar Azmoun, who addressed the government in a September post on Instagram: “Shame on you for killing so easily; long live Iranian women”.
Iranian players have been criticised by protestors, who have said they should have spoken out earlier, and more vociferously. However, these players are under surveillance, and risk jail for speaking out.
One source, watching in Iran, told The Athletic: “We were happy Iran lost because the players don’t show any respect to our protest, and aren’t supported by the ordinary people.
“It’s not enough just not singing the anthem! Our people were facing bullets during the game!”
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Iran lost the game 6-2, despite a double from Azmoun’s strike partner Taremi, after goals from Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, and Jack Grealish.
Speaking after the match, coach Carlos Queiroz said: “Everybody knows the present circumstances of my players is not the best environment, in terms of commitment, concentration, because they are affected by those issues.
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“They are human beings, they are kids, I know them for a lot of years, they only have one dream, to follow the legends of Iran, to play for the country, play for the people, and enjoy playing for the people.
“I am very proud of them, the way they stand up, keep fighting, and scored two goals against England under these circumstances. They did well, I’m very proud of what they did. But of course if you want one example, in 2014 and 2018, we had full support from fans. Now, you saw what happened today.
“That’s why I invite the fans of Iran who are not here already to support the team, they should stay at home. Why do they come here to not support the team? It would be much better for them to stay at home. We don’t need them. It’s something the players feel when they are not playing.”
The Athletic has contacted IRIB for comment.
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(Photo: Mohammad Karamali/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
