Qatar 2022: Here's why Iran's loss to US was celebrated in the country

Immediately after his team's loss to the US in the Group B match of the FIFA World Cup 2022 on Tuesday, Iran's defensive midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi made a tearful apology to the team's fans. He said, "I hope our fans and our people in Iran, they forgive us and I feel just sorry, that’s it." 

But, if anyone thought Iran would plunge into despair, think again. For, videos doing rounds on social media show Iranians celebrating their team's loss, an unusual reaction from the country that recently witnessed a widespread uprising against its clerical autocratic regime. 

Footage shared by Iranian American journalist Masih Alinejad shows fireworks lighting the sky as the US scored the winning goal against the Iran. Her post read: The moment the US Soccer team scored a goal against Islamic Republic of Iran’s football team. This is Saghez the hometown of #MahsaAmini, 22-year-old woman whose brutal death by the regime's hijab police, sparking a revolution against the gender apartheid regime."

People were also seen dancing and cheering as the Iranian football team was knocked out of the tournament. The celebrations were especially pronounced in the Iranian Kurdistan region of Marivan where people honked their car horns in celebration. The video was shared by Iran International English on Twitter. 

In some parts, drivers exited their vehicles to clap and cheer for the U.S. team's victory. 

Kurdish activist Kaveh Ghoreishi too shared a video on Twitter showing a neighbourhood celebration in Sanandaj city with sounds of cheering and horns blaring. Fireworks were also seen lighting up the sky in Mahabad, a Kurd-dominated region.

'Not Team Melli, but Team Mullahs'

Iran's Abolfazl Jalali reacts at the end of the World Cup group B soccer match between Iran and the United States at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar| AP

The Iranian football team is widely seen as a part of the oppressive regime, which cracked down on protestors recently resulting in the death of over 400 people as riots spread over the country in September following the death of Mahsa Amini. 

The players faced huge opposition and derision in their World Cup campaign too after they were criticized by many, including opposition activists in Iran, for their association with the Iranian government. The World Cup also saw fans openly expressing their contempt for Iran by bringing in banners in support of Mahsa Amini protestors. 

Naturally, the match against the US itself was much politicised and conducted under tight security to prevent any flare-up. But, that did not stop the U.S. Soccer Federation from temporarily displaying Iran's national flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic to show its support to the protestors. Iran filed a complaint with FIFA against the move.

Many of the fans who arrived to watch the match in Qatar too openly expressed their discontent. "Everybody should know about this. We don't have a voice in Iran," a fan, who identified himself as Sam, told Reuters. Outside the Al Thumama stadium, Sam raised his shirt to show a T-shirt underneath with the protesters' slogan: "Woman, Life, Freedom".

Another fan, who spoke to Reuters over the phone from Iran too voiced her protest stating she wanted the US to win.  "This is not my national team. It is not the Melli team, it is the mullahs' team," she said, referring to the national squad, commonly called Team Melli.

However, the Iranian team did its best to support the protestors. While it declined to sing the national anthem during its first game in support of the protestors, it buckled under pressure and sang it ahead of its second match and third one against the US on Tuesday.