There are only 24 days left for the World Cup in Qatar. Participating teams are busy with last minute preparations. However, in the meantime, there are demands to ban Iran from the World Cup.
Recently, Iran has been in turmoil over the hijab issue. There are allegations of torture against protesters. The country has also been accused of limiting women's participation in sports for a long time. In addition, the country also bans women from entering the stadium during football matches.
Iranian sports figures have sent an official letter to FIFA demanding that Iran be banned from football, protesting against such unjust interference by the government. FIFA received the letter through a legal institution in Spain.
British media BBC reported that some Iranian footballers and other athletes have requested FIFA to ban their country's football association.
"Through the law firm Ruiz-Huerta & Crespo, Iranian football and other sports figures have sent an official letter to FIFA and President Gianni Infantino," the statement said. It called for an immediate ban on Iran's football federation and requested it be effective from the World Cup starting on November 20.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk has demanded that the country be banned from the World Cup, accusing Iran of providing military support to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The club has also requested to allow Ukraine to participate in the World Cup instead of Iran.
Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Sergei Palkin said that while Iran's leaders are enjoying watching their national team play in the World Cup, Iranian-made drones and missiles will kill Ukrainians.
Shakhtar is calling on FIFA and international authorities to immediately ban Iran's national football team from the World Cup for terrorist attacks on Ukrainians. Ukraine's dream of playing in the World Cup was dashed after losing to Wales in the qualifying play-offs last June. Palkin urged Ukraine to play in the World Cup instead of Iran. Ukraine was not in a normal state like other national teams in the playoffs. Still they fought hard.
According to the rules of the World Cup, FIFA has the opportunity to play one team instead of another team. But for that the participating team will have to withdraw from the World Cup.
Football World Cup will open with Qatar-Ecuador match on November 20. Iran's World Cup mission in Group B will begin with a match against England on November 21. Apart from England, Iran's remaining two opponents in Group 'B' are United States and Wales
The denunciations against Iran for violation of human rights is not new, but mixing politics with sports is not a good thing either.
There are many supporters in Iran for whom being represented in the national soccer team can be something like coming out of the political and economic odyssey of that Asian country in recent decades.
I think that Russia and Ukraine are going down other paths and FIFA has already taken action on the matter, although FIFA is also an extremely politicized body.
I remember when Cuba was banned from participating in world competitions because it was an ally of Russia. It seems to me that we are going back in time.
In short, it is always the dissidents of these countries who promote this type of penalty.
You have logic. But some people of that country have dragged the political issues inside their own country. It is not right to make these exaggerations about only one hijab issue. Wearing hijab is compulsory in Islam. But for some feminists, there is a fear that Iran will not play in FIFA. But Iran is a very good team in football. I think it would be good for FIFA to drop them.