Tensions Flare Off-Field as US and Iran Prepare for World Cup Match

The United States and Iran are facing off at the World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday in a pivotal match. Ahead of the game, Iran filed a complaint to FIFA after the United States Soccer Federation displayed the Iranian flag on their website and social media accounts without the central emblem signifying the Islamic Republic in a show of solidarity with ongoing protests in Iran.

For Context: For 24 hours, The USSF used an altered Iranian flag that only features the three colors without the emblem in their promotional material for the upcoming game. Iran is in the midst of wide-reaching protests against the Islamic Republic following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman that was beaten by Iranian Police for a dress-code violation involving her headscarf.

Key Quotes: A statement from U.S. Soccer said the altered flag was intended to show “support for the women in Iran fighting for basic human rights.” Iranian media quoted Safiollah Fagahanpour, an advisor to the Iranian team, claiming the move violates FIFA regulations, stating, “obviously they want to affect Iran’s performance against the U.S. by doing this.”

How the Media Covered It: Coverage regarding controversies surrounding the World Cup have been roughly equal to coverage of the World Cup games. Coverage of this particular event across the spectrum is emphasizing the underlying animosity between the two countries ahead of Tuesday’s game, which will take place Nov. 29 at 2:00 P.M. EST.