Iran captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh has reiterated the team's commitment to unifying the nation through football, refusing to be drawn on the national anthem boos that have overshadowed their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. Iran remains in contention to qualify for the knockout stages after a remarkable goalless draw against Belgium on Sunday, but off-pitch issues continue to dominate headlines.
Mixed Reactions to Anthem Across Two Matches
Across Iran's two World Cup matches at Los Angeles Stadium, the national anthem has provoked a divided response. During their opening fixture against New Zealand, which also ended in a draw, fans delivered a mixture of jeers and cheers, with the mood shifting by the anthem's conclusion. Against Belgium, however, the reaction was far more hostile, with a torrent of boos intensifying as the anthem played out.
Following the goalless stalemate, Jahanbakhsh shed light on what he and his teammates experienced. "We take both. I think there are good days, bad days for every team, and also, like I said, we play for all the Iranians in Iran, outside Iran, with whatever ideology, whatever preferences they have, and we make sure to make them happy, because I'm sure at the end of the day, they love Team Melli from the heart, and we respect them all," Jahanbakhsh told reporters.
Team Focused on Unity and Performance
Jahanbakhsh emphasized the team's role in bringing people together. "And I think the most important thing we can do as a team is to perform well, to make sure we put our heart on the pitch, and to do everything to make them happy. And for the rest, I think that's something we have to respect people, whatever idea they have, and like I said, the best thing we can do is to play football, and hopefully we can do it in the best way possible."
Having secured draws against both New Zealand and Belgium, Iran now faces a crucial clash against Egypt. A victory would see them progress to the Round of 32, a remarkable achievement. Despite the opportunity, Jahanbakhsh and his teammates remain grounded, keen to make the Iranian people proud regardless of political stance.
Crunch Match Against Egypt Ahead
Iran will face Egypt on Friday, closing out Group G. The group is wide open, with Egypt leading after Mohamed Salah inspired their comeback to beat New Zealand 3-1, while Belgium take on the All Whites looking to salvage their tournament. Reflecting on Iran's position, Jahanbakhsh said, "Yeah, a hundred percent, like I said, this is, I think this is the spirit we have in the team. Yeah, the situation hasn't been the best, but like we don't want to keep repeating that because I think everyone is aware of that. But yeah, we go game by game."
"This today was an amazing performance, but I think we cannot let down the next game against Egypt. We know how important that is. Making history, every World Cup, last World Cup, we tried to do the best thing, but very last minute we couldn't do it. But now I think the most important thing is like we go to recover well to make sure that we are ready for the next game and do the same energy, same spirit to the game against Egypt and hopefully make the best performance for our people back home. We know they deserve a lot."
Jahanbakhsh concluded by highlighting the unifying power of football: "Even the people who came to the stadium today with the different ideas, different ideology, different culture from different cities in Iran coming from. So that's bringing people together, the united that is. And on top of that, like I said, I think that makes us stronger and live the result to the gut."
