Iran won the World Cup in Qatar

The first eight matches of the ongoing World Cup in Qatar have come to an end. Half of all teams have played, the provisional standings are:

Iran 4 points
England 3 points
Denmark 2 points

Thirteen teams face a miserable zero points. Argentina, Australia, Ecuador, France, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Tunisia, USA and Wales.

If Iran continues like this, it will be a surprise in all World Cups. How does Iran, already a major contender for the finals after one tournament, manage that?
The Iranian government cannot do that. All credit goes to Iran football team. Gamers He refused to sing the national anthem. The move coincided seamlessly with captain Ehsan Hajzabi’s statement at a press conference earlier in the day.

Before anything else, I would like to express my condolences to all the families of those who lost their lives in Iran
(…)
They need to know that we are with them, that we support them, that we sympathize with them.

Such reporting is not without risk to the players or their families. The Iranian government has been cracking down on the protests that have been going on for more than two months. While many thought that Iranian footballers would limit themselves to their sporting duties in Qatar, the opposite now appears to be the case. As Hajzabi said:

We are here but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be their voice

Although this was a protest against the Iranian regime and not a protest against Qatar, the Iranian team deserved the full four points. In all circumstances, it was very brave to demonstrate that there were more serious issues at stake than football. Things that should never be overlooked.

England is currently in second place. Just before the start of the match against Iran, the players knelt on the field. Against racism and discrimination and as a gesture of inclusion. A feat often performed by England players on previous occasions. More relevant now, as Qatar has lost its way in terms of inclusion.

This was further demonstrated later on the same day, when football fans were decked out in rainbow colours Access is denied The stadium where Wales and USA were to play.

This move is appropriate as the slavery under which the stadiums were built is undoubtedly rooted in racism and discrimination.
A Three short seconds The British pressed their knees into the grass. A minimal gesture, but still, due to the applicability of the statement: three points.

Denmark took provisional third place. For a simple action: clothes He deliberately kept his composure. No big logos, no flashy letters. The sportswear supplier said he didn’t want to watch a tournament that claimed thousands of lives.

Yes, one of the costumes was worn by Danish soldiers During the warm-up before the match. Color is black. In condolence to the deceased guest workers. With this, Denmark scored two runs.

So only three of the sixteen teams that have played so far have made any kind of gesture. Very little. But that was expected later Eight European teams Pre-announced actions (wearing A love bracelet) backed off when FIFA threatened to take action.

Now that the matches have started, the media is all about football. Just when a team makes a statement on the ground, on the ground, it cannot be ignored. Promised reports on the current situation in Qatar have yet to be delivered. It doesn’t even tell if people have gone the wrong way and how successful they are in talking to the guest workers.

Can we expect anything from the Dutch team anytime soon? Looks dark for now. Let us suggest some options.

Option 1: Not just the captain but the entire team and crew (including Van Gaal!) will wear the One Love bracelet. Will FIFA dare yellow card the entire participant and suspend them at the next opportunity?

Option 2: Have the Dutch team lay wreaths in memory of the workers killed at the two stadiums playing in the round (in recognition Previous proposal)

Option 3: After the coin toss or starting whistle, observe a minute’s silence in honor of the fallen workers.

A little lion dares to do it. If that’s too much, play “Copy Cat” and kneel for three seconds.

Meanwhile, we keep an eye on which team will perform best in this World Cup when it comes to international cohesion. For the ‘Get Up – Stand Up’ trophy.

We hope to see Germany make some sort of gesture today. The German Football Association has lost at least one sponsor. Supermarket chain Rewe Sponsorship ends Protest against not wearing a love bracelet.

Belgium will be closely watched by FIFA as they not only banned the One Love bracelet, but also banned them from wearing colorful shirts and shirts with the words ‘Love’ on them. were banned. What other resources does the team have to raise objections? It will be The kiss of the world cup (Jan Vertonghen going to kiss Eden Hazard). A promise that Vertonghen quickly deleted from his Instagram. Unexpectedly.

Japan has previously announced that it will stick to soccer only.

At the time of writing we do not know if Spain, Costa Rica, Morocco and Croatia will issue any statements.