Iran national team captain Mehdi Taremi told a press conference that the team respects all LGBTQ people and that their identity is "their choice and their opinion, not our business." His statement defuses the official Iranian federation's demand to FIFA to ban Pride displays at the Iran-Egypt World Cup match.
Iran national team captain Mehdi Taremi made conciliatory remarks on LGBTQ issues during a press conference Saturday evening, directly diverging from the Islamic Republic's official stance. "We respect all LGBTQ people. It's their choice and their opinion, it's not our business. We are here to play football," he said, according to reports from Iranian outlets in Telgegram.
The comments come as the Iranian Football Federation, on the eve of the decisive World Cup match against Egypt in Seattle, formally asked FIFA to prohibit Pride symbols and activities at the game — which local organizers had designated a Pride Match. As The Zioneer reported this week, FIFA rejected the request and confirmed Pride flags will be permitted under tournament rules.
Taremi, the team's star striker and the target of earlier official Iranian fury over his criticism of team logistics, appeared to be offering a personal stance rather than a coordinated official response. His remarks were reported Saturday night, about an hour before kickoff. It is unclear whether his statement reflects a broader softening within the squad or is a deliberate effort to avoid controversy during the match.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake