At least I’d never lose the game..
IN the World Cup I support two teams: England and Iran.
I was born and raised in England, but my mum is Iranian, and I have an affinity with my roots.
Many of my childhood summers were spent in Tehran, I celebrate Persian New Year every March and I even have a (regrettable) tattoo of the word “love” in Farsi on my ribcage.
But supporting Iran is a fraught moral choice.
It’s a long-term enemy of the West and faces unrest internally over its repressive religious-based laws.
But I personally felt the team had earned their place, and to many Iranians football is a lifeline.
And what a game it was. But I did feel genuinely conflicted as I watched goal after England goal sail in.
While Iran may have been mauled on the pitch, they gave it a good fight.
And the team was brave in refusing to sing the regime’s national anthem.
I may have been secretly hoping for a 1-1 draw, but I’ll take this result... just as long as Iran beat the USA and Wales and go through to the knockout stages, that is.