The team’s act appears to be a show of solidarity with protesters at home after receiving criticism from fans
DOHA, Qatar—Iran’s soccer team chose not to sing the Islamic Republic’s national anthem before their opening World Cup match against England on Monday, in an apparent show of solidarity with a monthslong rights movement sweeping across the country.
The defiant act came after the team’s captain Ehsan Hajsafi on Sunday expressed support for those who had lost loved ones during the recent unrest, which began in mid-September after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality police. More than 300 people have died since then as the government used force to break the protest movement that has now morphed into broader calls to overthrow the Islamic leadership.