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During the World Cup, Iran Grapples
with National Identity

WORDS Ali Sharifzade
PHOTOGRAPHY Ali Sharifzade & Alejandro Gutiérrez Mora

June 26 2026

TEHRAN, Iran — At this moment in Iran’s contemporary history, perhaps every Iranian who loves football and still carries a deep attachment to their homeland has asked themselves at least once: Should we still support Iran’s national football team? For nations to remain nations for people with diﬀerent beliefs, political views, and social outlooks to continue standing together despite their diﬀerences they need an invisible yet powerful bond. A bond capable of connecting scattered individuals into a collective "we." That bond is called national identity.

The question today, however, is whether Iran’s national football team can still serve as a reﬂection of that identity. Can it still be described, without hesitation, as the team of all Iranians?

Before attempting to answer, it is important to distinguish between individual identity and national identity. National identity is not meant to mirror every political, social, or ideological preference within a society. Contemporary Iran is a diverse and complex nation, home to people with diﬀerent worldviews, aspirations, and interpretations of what it means to live as part of the same society.

Yet people expect a team that carries the title of "national" to embody at least some sense of shared belonging. Problems emerge when, at critical moments, segments of society feel that this common ground has been ignored or that their place within the national narrative has been overlooked. What begins as distance can gradually evolve into distrust and disengagement.

In such circumstances, if individuals view the national team solely through the lens of their personal experiences and political convictions, collective solidarity becomes increasingly diﬃcult to sustain. Disappointment becomes a natural outcome.

At the same time, a national team often functions as a mirror of the society it represents. The greater the tensions, divisions, and pressures within a country, the more likely those realities are to surface within its football culture. Iran's national team over the past several years oﬀers a clear example.

The growing intersection of politics and football has arguably become one of the primary reasons why parts of Iranian society have become detached from the national team. Over time, the team has increasingly been perceived not merely as a sporting institution but, at times, as a vehicle for political messaging and symbolism. This perception has been ampliﬁed by the fact that the same political structures have often found themselves in conﬂict with segments of the population.

From the controversy surrounding the selection of supporters attending the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to symbolic events such as the unveiling of the national team's jersey in Tehran's Revolution Square, many Iranians came to view national team imagery and achievements as instruments of political messaging rather than purely sporting accomplishments.

A comparison with other football nations is revealing. In many countries, the announcement of a World Cup squad becomes a national moment an occasion ﬁlled with emotion, pride, and collective anticipation. The unveiling of players is carefully designed to strengthen the connection between the team and the public.

By contrast, when even the most basic football-related events are marked by poor planning, weak communication, or a lack of emotional resonance, the gap between supporters and football institutions tends to widen.

This contrast is particularly visible during the current World Cup. While cities around the world have embraced the tournament through public celebrations, decorations, and fan-driven activities, the World Cup's presence in Tehran remains noticeably limited. The observation is especially striking given that only recently the Iranian capital found itself at the center of a major military confrontation with the United States, one of the tournament's host nations.

Where eﬀorts have been made to promote the competition, public displays have often appeared intertwined with political messaging rather than focused solely on football itself.

Ironically, Iran may have possessed one of the most talented generations of footballers in its history during the past two World Cup cycles. Yet events beyond the pitch placed a heavy psychological burden on the team before a ball had even been kicked. For many observers, the national team seemed to have lost part of the public relations long before the opening whistle.

This phenomenon is not unique to Iran. Across the world, whenever political actors attempt to appropriate football for their own purposes, the sense of national unity built around a team tends to suﬀer. The stronger the perception of political ownership, the weaker the feeling of collective belonging.

Ultimately, however, a national team derives its meaning not merely from football but from national identity itself. A team disconnected from its people struggles to inspire the emotional energy that often deﬁnes success in international competition.

The national team can be far more than a collection of players. It can become part of a nation's collective memory a repository of shared pride, heartbreak, resilience, and hope.

Football still has the potential to serve as a common meeting point, a space where political divisions, ideological disagreements, and social diﬀerences temporarily give way to a shared sense of belonging under one name and one ﬂag.

The question now is whether Iran's national football team, at this sensitive moment, can once again become that common beacon one capable of rekindling a sense of connection and hope among Iranians, wherever they may be in the world.

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During the World Cup, Iran Grapples with National Identity

During the World Cup, Iran Grapples
with National Identity