As Iran prepared to send its FIFA soccer team to the US, regime officials likened the match to warfare—framing the players as an extension of Iran’s broader battle against America.
Iranian National Football Team Is Sent Off to the FIFA World Cup with Chants of “Death to America”: Our Boys Will Launch Their Missiles, Block the Goal Like the Strait of Hormuz, Bring Grief to Trump’s Heart pic.twitter.com/tE2UNNY5ns
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) May 18, 2026
