On Monday, Iran coach Carlos Queiroz expressed his hope that the next World Cup will be more focused on football and less on politics, pointing out that there were other ways to utilize the game as a force for good.
Iran’s Queiroz condemns “mental games” and wishes for less controversy at the next World Cup
In order to question the legitimacy of Iran’s religious leadership, demonstrators pressed Queiroz’s team to openly support them and denounce a fatal official crackdown, drawing them into a domestic political crisis.
Queiroz was questioned about the U.S. Soccer Federation momentarily displaying Iran’s national flag on social media without the insignia of the Islamic Republic, in sympathy with the protest movement, prior to his team’s Group B match against the United States on Tuesday.
At a press conference, he stated, “I still think that mental games may help me win games.”
“I hope that the events surrounding this World Cup will serve as a lesson for all of us in the future and we realize that our goal is to provide entertainment and cheer up people for 90 minutes.”
After Iran’s opening 6-2 loss to England, Queiroz vented his rage over what he claimed were political pressure and harassment that had diverted his team. His team had come under fire for failing to express outrage over the deaths of protesters, and some Iranians had accused them of supporting the government.
But in a stunning change of events, Iran defeated Wales on Friday with two stoppage-time goals to reclaim a chance to go to the round of 16, where they will play international rivals the United States in a game that will determine the group.
The Qatar World Cup has been dogged by controversy long before it began because of the host nation’s stance on LGBT rights and its treatment of migrant workers, and several countries have clashed with FIFA over its decision to punish players who wear a “OneLove” armband on the field.
When Queiroz spoke of “magic moments” from a straightforward action like delivering footballs to underprivileged children in Africa, media applauded him for saying there was a time and place to utilize football to make a difference in the world.
He declared, “We stand in solidarity with humanitarian causes everywhere.
He continued: “You talk about human rights, racism, kids dying in schools from gunshots, we have solidarity with all those issues. This is a thinly veiled allusion to the United States. But in this case, our goal is to make everyone happy for 90 minutes.