World Cup 2022, Qatar

[JustKelli]

As qualifying continues for the 2022 World Cup we already know a few things, it is going to be hot as f*** is the first thing and to that end there is discussion of having night games to combat the heat or at least direct sunlight because it's not uncommon for temperatures to still be around +35C at 11 p.m.,

Russia will not participate is another and as of yesterday neither will Italy after losing 1-0 to North Macedonia in the 92nd minute of their match. On the flip side of that coin Canada will participate after a 35 plus year absence, that should be made official tonight in Toronto as we play Jamaica in the second to last 8 team qualifying match which includes Mexico and the USA in other games.

I don't have time this moment but in the coming days we will take a look at who will be there and look at the brackets unless someone else wants to be so bold and post them as all are welcome here with open arms.

Qatar 2022 is scheduled to begin November 21st running until December 18th. France are the reigning World Cup champions

[JustKelli]

Canada men put on a show as they qualify for the World Cup for first time in 37 years

Canadians had their way with outmatched Jamaica side in a 4-0 win before a loud sellout crowd of 29,122 on a chilly day at BMO Field in Toronto.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
about 12 hours ago

TORONTO — Canada put on a show Sunday, qualifying for the men’s World Cup for the first time since 1985.

Cyle Larin, Tajon Buchanan and Junior Hoilett scored as the Canadians had their way with an outmatched Jamaica side in a 4-0 win before a loud and proud sellout crowd of 29,122 on a chilly day at BMO Field. A Jamaican own goal in the 89th minute padded the score.

And the margin of victory could have been far more lopsided.

Canada (8-1-4, 28 points in the final CONCACAF qualifying round) dominated from the get-go, stacking scoring chances like firewood. The home side was up 1-0 after 13 minutes and 2-0 at the break. It could have been 4-0 midway through the first half when the sun made its first appearance.

Jamaica (1-7-5, eight points) spent the afternoon in reverse. The game was done and dusted after the first half.

The historic win came 37 years after Canada qualified for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico with a 1-0 victory over Honduras on Sept. 14, 1985, in St. John’s, N.L. That marked the Canadian men’s lone trip to the soccer showcase, where they lost all three games without scoring a goal.

Canada soccer has been on a high with the sixth-ranked Canadian women winning gold last summer at the Tokyo Olympics. Now the 33rd-ranked men, led by coach John Herdman, get their time to shine in Qatar, while lengthening their runway to the 2026 World Cup, which Canada is co-hosting with the U.S., and Mexico.

The Canadian men, who lead the eight-country final round-robin, also had a chance to seal qualification on Thursday in Costa Rica but lost 1-0 after playing two-thirds of the game with 10 men in the wake of Mark-Anthony Kaye’s red card.

It marked the lone blemish on their qualifying road. Going into Sunday’s match, Canada had outscored its opposition 50-7 while posting 11 clean sheets in 18 qualifying games over three rounds (13-1-4).

On a cold day, Canada came out hot and was rewarded for its dominance in the 13th minute when, after a lightning-fast counterattack, Hoilett squared the ball to Stephen Eustaquio who threaded the needle to put Larin behind the defence. The Besiktas forward calmly slotted the ball past goalkeeper Andre Blake for his 24th goal for Canada, extending his national men’s scoring record.

Buchanan made it 2-0 in the 44th minute as Jamaica failed to deal with a free kick that the Club Brugge winger had earned after being chopped down in the midst of several stepovers. A defender headed Eustaquio’s free kick away but it went straight to Jonathan David, whose cross dropped at Buchanan’s feet in front of goal.

He celebrated the goal with his trademark backflip.

Hoilett made it 3-0 in the 83rd after Buchanan nicked the ball off a defender following a corner and fed the veteran Hoilett, who slashed through the penalty box and beat Blake for his 14th goal for Canada.

Adrian Mariappa’s failed attempt at a clearance off a Sam Adegukbe cross ended up in the Jamaican goal to make it 4-0.

In later games Sunday, it was Costa Rica at El Salvador, Panama at the U.S. and Mexico at Honduras.


The Canadians, who wrap up qualifying Wednesday in Panama, only needed a draw Sunday to qualify. Other qualification routes were if Costa Rica failed to win or a Panama victory over the U.S.

The top three teams qualify for Qatar as representatives of North and Central America and the Caribbean while the fourth-place finisher takes on an Oceania side in an intercontinental playoff to see who joins them.

A blanket of snow greeted players and fans in Toronto when they woke up Sunday, although almost all of had disappeared by kickoff. Thanks to BMO Field’s underground heating, there was just a dusting of white in parts of the patchy field.

There were light flurries at kickoff. Somehow the conditions made it more Canadian.

“Our House. Our Day. All of Canada is with you,” Canada Soccer tweeted in a video heralding the game, accompanied by the sounds of “Coming Home” by Diddy and Dirty Money featuring Skylar Grey.

The Canadians had dealt with worse in snowy Edmonton last November when they defeated Mexico and Costa Rica.

Still it was a chilly, windy afternoon with the temperature minus-five, feeling like minus-14 for the 4 p.m. ET kickoff. It didn’t faze Larin, Richie Laryea or substitute Alistair Johnston, who wore short-sleeved jerseys.

Canada flags flew proudly, with a few Ukraine ones dotting the sellout crowd.

Herdman made four changes to his starting lineup in Costa Rica, inserting defenders Scott Kennedy, Adekugbe and Doneil Henry and winger Hoilett. Adekugbe and Henry were suspended for the Costa Rica game.

Goalkeeper Milan Borjan took over as skipper from Atiba Hutchinson.

Canada wasted little time with Blake having to claw away an Adegukbe cross in the second minute. Blake then had to stop a fourth-minute Larin shot after a fine run by David, prompting chants of “Canada, Canada.”

David shot just wide in the 15th minute after another Canadian attack. Six minutes later, Buchanan shot high.

The crowd cheered when Borjan was finally called into the action to make a save in the 32nd minute.

Larin shot just wide after in the 38th minute, taking a cross from Adegukbe after a glorious ball from Hoilett found the fullback flying down the left flank.

The game grew more open as the first half wore on, with Jamaica finding some space in the Canadian end as the home side threw bodies forward looking. Canada has 65 per cent possession in the first half and had a 11-2 edge in shots (4-1 in shots on target).

It was more of the same in the second half with Buchanan just missing a low cross from Larin across goal as play resumed. David shot wide minutes later.

Henry limped off in the 62nd minute, with Herdman going to his bench. Borjan wasted little time giving up the captain’s armband when Hutchinson came on for his 94th cap, extended his Canadian men’s record. Chants of “Atiba, Atiba” followed.

Blake stopped substitute Lucas Cavallini in the 82nd minute, with chants of “Ole, Ole” from the crowd. Buchanan then tried to flick a corner home from the near post.

The Canadian men qualified the hard way this time. While CONCACAF powerhouses like Mexico and the U.S. got a bye to the final round, Canada had to start at the bottom in the region.

Herdman’s team had to dispatch Aruba, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Suriname and Haiti just to reach the final round of qualifying for the first time since the lead-up to France ‘98.

“If we look at it the right way, it just could be one hell of a story,” Herdman said prophetically in July 2019 when CONCACAF revamped its qualifying procedure.

Thursday marked the four-year anniversary of Herdman’s first game in charge of the men, a 1-0 win over New Zealand in Murcia, Spain, before just 75 people. His record at the men’s helm now stands at 29-7-4 with the only losses to the U.S. (twice), Mexico (twice), Costa Rica, Haiti and Iceland.

Already qualified in the 32-team men’s World Cup field are host Qatar, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Iran, Japan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and Uruguay.

Canada has been to seven of eight women’s World Cups, missing out only on the inaugural event in 1991. The women finished fourth at the 2003 tournament in the U.S.

Jamaica was one of five teams to receive a bye to the final round of CONCACAF qualifying but had managed just one win — a 2-0 decision in Honduras on Oct. 13.

The Canadian men were ranked 73rd in the world, compared to No. 47 for Jamaica, when they started World Cup qualifying in March 2021. Today Canada is 33rd while Jamaica is No. 62.

Still there was hope in the Jamaican camp.

“Fearless Reggae Boyz to Spoil Canadian Party” was the headline in Jamaica’s Gleaner newspaper.

Canada drew Jamaica 0-0 when the teams met Oct. 10 at the National Stadium in Kingston. The Canadian men improved to 10-6-7 all-time against Jamaica including 7-0-2 on home soil.

The Reggae Boyz are led by interim coach Paul Hall, who played for Jamaica at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Jamaica was missing Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey, absent due to a personal issue, with West Ham star forward Michail Antonio one of several other high-profile absentees. Vancouver Whitecaps fullback Javain Brown started for the visitors.

Canada was without Kaye, suspended after being sent off for two yellows in Costa Rica.

[JustKelli]

CHRISTIAN PULISIC HAT TRICK LEADS U.S. MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM TO BRINK OF WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION AFTER 5-1 WIN VS. PANAMA

USA CAN CLINCH WORLD CUP BERTH WITH WIN, DRAW OR LOSS BY LESS THAN SIX GOALS AT COSTA RICA ON WEDNESDAY; KICKOFF FROM ESTADIO NACIONAL DE COSTA RICA SET FOR 9:05 P.M. ET ON PARAMOUNT+, UNIVERSO AND PEACOCK; FOUR FIRST-HALF GOALS FOR USMNT INCLUDE TWO PENALTIES FOR PULISIC AND GOALS FROM PAUL ARRIOLA AND JESÚS FERREIRA

MARCH 27 2022

ORLANDO, Fla. (March 27, 2022) – The U.S. Men’s National Team stands one game away from qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup after an emphatic 5-1 win against Panama in its final home game of this qualifying cycle. Led by a hat trick from attacker Christian Pulisic in front of a sell-out crowd of 25,022 at Exploria Stadium, the USA has put itself in position to punch its ticket to Qatar with a win, draw or loss by less than six goals in its final World Cup qualifying match at Costa Rica on Wednesday (9:05 p.m. ET; Paramount+, Universo, Peacock).

Currently second in the Octagonal, the U.S. is now guaranteed to finish in the top four of the Concacaf World Cup qualifying standings. The top three teams qualify directly to the World Cup, while the fourth-place finisher will participate in an intercontinental playoff against the winner of Oceania’s World Cup qualifying tournament for a berth to Qatar. The USA has 25 points from 13 matches but has a massive edge (+13 to +3) in the first tiebreaker -- goal differential -- over fourth-place Costa Rica (22 points), which puts the USA in solid position to earn its World Cup berth on Wednesday.

The hat trick was the first for Pulisic with the USMNT, and he spearheaded an electric offensive performance for the Americans that included a four-goal outburst in the first half. Pulisic coolly converted two penalties after U.S. center backs Walker Zimmerman and Miles Robinson were fouled in the box during set play opportunities. FC Dallas teammates Paul Arriola and Jesús Ferreira added goals to cap off some dynamic attacking play in the first half before Pulisic added the exclamation point in the 65th minute with a lovely bit of skill, finessing through the Panama defense to put an appropriate exclamation point on a memorable evening.

After some very physical defense from Panama on early set pieces, the U.S. earned its first penalty nod when Los Canaleros captain Anibal Godoy slapped and then grabbed Zimmerman by the neck before slamming him to the ground near the penalty spot. Although play initially continued, a VAR review resulted in the referee pointing to the spot and Pulisic hammered the ball home in the 17th minute. At the end of the half, Godoy was whistled for over-aggressive play and Pulisic capped off the quartet of first-half goals with another well-hit finish in in stoppage time.

The U.S. attack also proved dangerous in open play. After the first penalty opened things up, the USMNT forward line of Arriola, Ferreira and Pulisic were dangerous in the final third, especially when combining with outside backs Antonee Robinson and Shaq Moore. In the 23rd minute, Pulisic ran down a pass deep in the left corner and was taken down from behind by a Panama defender, but not before playing a pass back to Robinson on the left flank. He swung the ball into the middle and Arriola skied high to meet the ball just outside the six-yard box, rising above his mark to loop a perfect header inside the right post for the USA’s second goal.

Just four minutes later, Arriola helped tee up Ferreira, his club teammate for FC Dallas. From the right wing, right back Shaq Moore played a pass to Arriola lurking near the six-yard box once again, and he spun around his defender. His first attempt to pass to Ferreira was blocked, but the ball hit Arriola’s foot and rolled back to Ferreira, who rifled a shot past onrushing Panama goalkeeper Luis Mejia.

Pulisic added a final goal midway through the second half. As midfielder Luca de la Torre continued to spark dangerous play in the midfield during his second-ever USMNT start, a nice interchange with Antonee Robinson set up the left back to place a ball to Pulisic inside the box. It took the Chelsea forward just three touches to beat three Panama defenders, nutmegging the final one, before slotting a shot into the right corner from close range.

While the USA jumped out to a four-goal advantage in the first half, things were slow-going at the start, with both teams struggling to establish a rhythm. Los Canaleros were chippy defensively and outpossessed the U.S. in the opening minutes. Panama nearly created an equalizer in the 20th minute when goalkeeper Zack Steffen ran into one of his defenders and was caught out of position as the ball bounced around the six, but the U.S. defense recovered to clear it out of danger.

Panama came out of the break looking to bring the game back within reach and midfielder Tyler Adams had to make a well-timed tackle to defuse a dangerous scoring chance from Victor Medina in the 53rd minute. Los Canaleros finally got on the board in the 86th, but it was far too little, far too late. On a free kick from 25 yards out, Eric Davis sent a nice ball into the box that Godoy headed past a diving Steffen to finish the scoring.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

USA -- Christian Pulisic (Penalty Kick), 17th minute: Panama proved to be physical in their set-piece defense during the game’s early going, but things crossed the line in the 17th minute. Panama captain Anibal Godoy choked and then body-slammed U.S. defender and his Nashville SC teammate Walker Zimmerman to the ground, and while Panama tried to hit the counterattack, the referee whistled for a VAR review. After watching the replay, he pointed to the spot, where Pulisic converted his first of three goals on the night to the top left corner. USA 1, PAN 0

USA -- Paul Arriola (Antonee Robinson), 23rd minute: As the U.S. attack grew into the game, a well-placed long pass from the defense found Christian Pulisic on the run down the left side. He drove to the end line and played it back to Robinson outside the penalty box, where the left back sent in a booming cross to the center of the six-yard box. There, Arriola leapt above his marking defender and sent a looping header to the right side of the net. USA 2, PAN 0

USA -- Jesús Ferreira (Paul Arriola), 27th minute: From the right sideline, Yunus Musah played to Luca de la Torre, who dribbled forward before laying it off for right back Shaq Moore on the run down the right flank. He put a rolling cross in for Arriola near the corner of the six-yard box, where the forward took a touch and forced a pass through a defender to Ferreira who was four yards from the goal. Ferreira hammered his shot to the top right corner past onrushing Panama goalkeeper Luis Mejia. USA 3, PAN 0

USA -- Christian Pulisic (Penalty Kick), 45+4th minute: This time, Godoy took down U.S. center back Miles Robinson in the box, striking a blow to his neck and bringing him to the ground near the spot. Pulisic once again finished the job, hitting it past the diving Mejia to send the U.S. into the half on a high note. USA 4, PAN 0

USA -- Christian Pulisic (Antonee Robinson), 65th minute: Midfielder Luca de la Torre took off on a gashing run through the middle of the field before laying it off for Robinson on the left wing. Robinson played it back downfield to de la Torre and the midfielder once again laid it off for the Fulham defender just beyond the corner of the penalty area. He sent a ball between two Panama defenders for Pulisic, who took a touch to spin past one and nutmegged another before slotting his show on the ground into the right side of the net from eight yards out. USA 5, PAN 0

PAN -- Anibal Godoy (Eric Davis), 86th minute: Shortly after entering the match, U.S. defender Aaron Long got tangled up with Panama’s Alberto Quintero as he dribbled down the right side towards goal. The questionable foul set up a free kick for Panama from 25 yards out and Davis swung a dangerous cross to the penalty spot. As his teammates pushed towards goal, Godoy leapt above his mark to send a header inside the left post past an outstretched U.S. goalkeeper Zack Steffen. USA 5, Panama.

[JustKelli]

Europe braced for play-off finals

Monday, 28 March 2022, 05:00 (local time)


Two more European World Cup qualifiers to be decided by Tuesday

Can North Macedonia create another upset against Portugal?

Will it be Lewandowski or Ibrahimovic heading to Qatar?

Ten European teams have secured their spots at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, with three places still up for grabs via the play-off path.

Two finals will be decided on Tuesday, while Wales will take on the winner of the tie between Scotland and Ukraine at a later date to determine the last UEFA representative at Qatar 2022.

Matches

Tuesday 29 March (20:45 CEST)

Portugal-North Macedonia
Poland-Sweden

North Macedonia out to slay another giant
After their shock last-minute semi-final win over reigning European champions Italy, North Macedonia are now just one more victory away from making it to the World Cup for the first time in their history. To make this dream a reality, coach Blagoja Milevski’s have another tough task on their hands however – first Italy, now Portugal…

The EURO 2016 winners, with the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo in the ranks, defeated Turkey in their semi-final and are looking to secure a sixth World Cup spot in a row. The Seleção das Quinas will also be able to count on home support in their final.

Clash of the striking titans

Unlike the other teams in action, Poland were given a bye in the semi-finals last Thursday and instead took on Scotland in a friendly, drawing 1-1. Robert Lewandowski (128 appearances/74 goals) did not feature in that match, but he will be there on Tuesday against Sweden and on the hunt for the goals that will fire Poland into the World Cup.

Sweden made it through a thrilling semi-final against Czech Republic after extra time to book a spot in the play-off final against Poland. Coach Janne Andersson had to do without Zlatan Ibrahimovic (120 appearances/62 goals), who was suspended after accumulating too many yellow cards, but the 40-year-old will be back to face Poland.

Facts and figures

74 – The number of international goals scored by The Best FIFA Men’s Player 2021 Robert Lewandowski. The 33-year-old did not feature in last week’s friendly against Scotland and should be all the hungrier for goals this week.

19 – Portugal have scored at least once in each of their last 19 World Cup qualifying home matches.

9 – North Macedonia meanwhile have found the back of the net in each of their previous nine away matches in World Cup qualifying, so neutrals can expect an exciting game.

2 – Poland and Sweden have met three times at the World Cup or in European qualifying, with the the Swede having their noses in front thanks to wins in two of those ties.

What they said

“We need to show the same respect to North Macedonia that we would to Italy. A team that goes to Italy and beats the European champions doesn't need introductions.”
Fernando Santos, Portugal coach

"Can we beat Portugal? Yes, we will win. We will do everything to win and we will do it."
Stefan Ristovski, North Macedonia captain

"We have studied Sweden in depth. We know what to expect from them. They are a very good, very well organised team, no doubt about it. But we will have our plan for this match."
Czesław Michniewicz, Poland coach

"I have no idea whether a performance like [the semi-final one against the Czech Republic] would be enough [against Poland]. We won’t play the same way, because Poland play differently."
Janne Andersson, Sweden coach

[JustKelli]

Here is the list of teams that have already qualified for World Cup 2022. For Mexico and the USA it's basically a technicality and they should be added in the coming days with one game remaining in the 8 team round robin tournament. Costa Rica is on the cusp but will have to go to a playoff

[stob]

Qatar are only the second country to make their debut at an international tournament on home soil. First was Italy in 1934. That's something I didn't know until yesterday.

I watched Australia qualify at the expense of Peru; a match that went to penalties. What a terrible match that was, which was no doubt in part a result of the extreme temperatures.

Still can't believe they are hosting such a high tempo sport in a blisteringly hot country, but then, money talks.

[ghost2509]

Budweiser says it will award unconsumed Qatar beer to the World Cup winner

MarketWatch
msn.com
Story by Weston Blasi
Nov. 23, 2022

The 2022 World Cup host nation, Qatar, stunned World Cup sponsor Budweiser with its last-second ban of alcohol sales at stadiums during soccer’s big, quadrennial spectacle.

Budweiser now says it will take some of the beer it originally planned to sell during the tournament and give it to the country whose team lifts the World Cup on Dec. 18.

“We will host the ultimate championship celebration for the winning country. Because, for the winning fans, they’ve taken the world. More details will be shared when we get closer to the finals,” an Anheuser-Busch InBev spokesperson reportedly told CNN.

The beer giant had previously alluded to its World Cup surplus in a tweet.

Qatar, a culturally conservative Muslim nation, announced it would*not allow the sale of alcohol during the World Cup*last week, aside from in a few luxury hospitality areas of the stadiums, reversing a decision earlier in the year that would have allowed wider alcohol sales.

Right after the alcohol ban was announced, Budweiser tweeted, “Well, this is awkward …”*— a tweet that was later deleted.

Drinking alcohol is not illegal in the Persian Gulf nation, but the country has rules that severely limit its widespread use.

Qatar does not permit its people to drink alcohol in public or to be inebriated in public, and “drinking in a public place could result in a prison sentence of up to 6 months.” Some bars and hotels are allowed to sell alcohol, but those establishments have obtained specific licenses to do so.

“Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters,” read a statement from FIFA.

Budweiser has been a World Cup sponsor since 1986 and reportedly paid $75 million for its World Cup deal, according to AdWeek. The company airs commercials featuring the sport’s top players, including Lionel Messi of Argentina and Neymar Jr. of Brazil. All sponsored events at the tournament are still said to be taking place.

[Fallon]

Originally Posted by ghost2509

Budweiser says it will award unconsumed Qatar beer to the World Cup winner

Now I know why Germany lost to Japan and is already halfway back home.

It was no underperforming, it was a humanitarian act!

[ghost2509]

Saudi Arabia's National Team Gifted Rolls-Royce Phantoms After Historic World Cup Victory

HYPEBEAST
msn.com
Camillia Kazem
November 25, 2022

On November 22, Saudi Arabia made history with Alshehri and Aldawsari getting a 2-1 win against Argentina at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

In celebration of the win, the government announced a public holiday the next day so the Kingdom can commemorate the team's efforts. Following this came another, slightly larger, announcement.

As reported by Harian Metro, to honor the team for their success, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia reportedly rewarded each player of the national team with a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

The FIFA World Cup 2022 has been anything but the ordinary with historical moments, epic wins and a first time in the Middle East. The green falcons are now at the top of Group C as they prepare for the second match with Poland on November 26.

[ghost2509]

Iran Threatened Families of National Soccer Team with ‘Violence and Torture’: Report


National Review
yahoo.com
Brittany Bernstein
November 28, 2022

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened the families of players on Iran’s World Cup soccer team with imprisonment and torture if the players do not “behave” before their match against the United States on Tuesday, according to a new report.

A source told CNN that players were called to a meeting with members of the IRGC after the team failed to sing the country’s national anthem during their opening match against England last week. The IRGC reportedly warned afterward that players who did not sing the national anthem or who participated in any political protest against the Iranian government would leave their families subject to “violence and torture” as retribution.*

On Friday, ahead of their game against Wales, the team sang the nation’s anthem.

“There are a large number of Iranian security officers in Qatar collecting information and monitoring the players,” the source told CNN, adding that players are not allowed to meet with foreigners during the World Cup.

The Portuguese coach of Iran’s team, Carlos Quieroz, who reportedly met separately with IRGC officers, has said players can protest at the World Cup within FIFA regulations.

Widespread protests in Iran began on September 17 at the funeral of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested in Tehran by Iran’s “morality police” for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely on September 13. She died three days later.

While Iranian officials have said that Amini died of a heart attack, her family says she was “severely beaten” while in custody. A lawyer for the family said “respectable doctors” believe she was beaten while in custody. Her death has sparked weeks of protests across Iran, in which some women have burned their hijabs and publicly chopped off their hair.

An Iranian general acknowledged for the first time Monday that more than 300 people have been killed in the protests.

The captain of Iran’s national men’s soccer team spoke in support of the anti-government protests last week.*

“I would like to express my condolences to all bereaved families in Iran,” Ehsan Hajsafi said at a news conference. “They should know that we are with them. And we support them. And we sympathize with them regarding the conditions.”

“We have to accept the conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy,” he added. “We are here but it does not mean we should not be their voice or we should not respect them.”

Meanwhile, Iran state media have called for the United States to be removed from the World Cup after the United States Soccer Federation supported the anti-government protesters by posting an edited version of Iran’s flag on its social-media platforms. For 24 hours, the federation posted the Iranian flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights.”