United toward a goal

Alot has gone wrong with the FIFA World Cup this time around. The Qatar-based tournament has been marred by controversies including the kingdom’s reliance on mistreated migrant workers to build its stadiums and allegations that FIFA officials were paid off to select it. One thing that may yet go right is the U.S. team defeating Iran today at Al Thumama Stadium in what promises to be a rousing match kicking off at 2 p.m. New York time. The American squad must deliver a win against the Iranian team in order to advance out of the group stage, which would qualify as redemption after the red, white and blue failed to qualify for the tournament in 2018, its first such miss since 1990.

A couple of decades ago, such a match might have been more of a tree falling in the woods situation, but as soccer soars in popularity in the U.S., many thousands of fans will be riveted to their screens across the country. A strong showing will only help build the excitement for the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted jointly by the U.S., Mexico and Canada in cities including our very own.

Less is riding on the Iranian team, which only has to battle the U.S. to a draw in order to most likely advance to the next round (though a win by Wales over England in the remaining group game could complicate that). Quite a lot, however, is riding on Iran’s political leadership, which has responded to months of popular protests against the repression of civil liberties by cracking down on dissent, leading to an estimated 450 demonstrators being killed and more than 18,000 arrested.

Win or lose today, kudos to the Iranian team for having shown some support for the protesters risking their lives, including by refusing to sing the national anthem in their game against England. Millions of spectators watch the World Cup, and some of that spotlight should turn to the turmoil back in the socalled Islamic Republic.