What is happening in Iran right now cannot be separated from football.
In fact, football has once again become one of the clearest mirrors of Iranian society, reflecting its pain, its anger and its demand to be heard.
Over the past days, as protests across Iran have intensified and expanded, more and more athletes have stepped into the public arena. Footballers in particular. In Iran, they are not just sports stars. They are cultural icons and, in many cases, social leaders. In a country where the relationship between the authorities and the public is fragile and tense, their actions carry weight far beyond the pitch.
The current wave of protests began last week at Tehran’s central bazaar, a place that has been the socio-economic heartbeat of Iran for centuries. Triggered by the deepening economic crisis, the demonstrations quickly spread. The situation inside the Islamic Republic, especially since the Twelve-Day War, has only worsened everyday life for millions of citizens. Prices are rising, opportunities are shrinking, and patience has run out. For many Iranians, the message is now clear: enough.
The regime attempted to calm the streets by announcing food subsidies of around seven dollars per person per month. For the protesters, this was seen as an insult rather than a solution. A symbolic gesture that felt like a thin bandage placed over a deep and open wound.
Last weekend, Iran’s under-23 national team offered one of the most visible acts of protest so far. Before their opening match at the Asian Cup against South Korea, the players refused to sing the national anthem. It was a quiet moment, but a powerful one. A direct protest against the Ayatollahs’ regime and its violent response to the demonstrations.
The momentum grew quickly. Former national team player Voria Ghafouri announced that he was closing the chain of cafes he owns, openly declaring his solidarity with the protesters. Pro-regime media outlets responded aggressively, accusing him of spreading chaos and endangering innocent lives. The message was familiar. Any act of dissent is framed as a threat.
In the early stages, videos and voice recordings continued to emerge from Iran, documenting what was happening on the streets. In recent days, however, the authorities escalated their response. Internet access across the country was heavily restricted or shut down entirely. The ability to document, report and communicate was taken away. In today’s world, cutting off the internet is not just censorship. It is a way of making people disappear. According to reports coming out of Iran, the regime has already executed around 200 protesters.
With almost no internet access inside the country, much of the public criticism online has come from Iranian footballers past and present, many of whom play abroad. Like millions of Iranians living in exile, they are using their platforms to speak when others cannot. Ali Daei, Sardar Azmoun, Masoud Shojaei and several others have publicly voiced their support for the protests.
On Sunday, Mehdi Taremi, currently the most high-profile Iranian footballer, scored for Olympiacos in Greece and chose not to celebrate. Afterwards, he explained that the decision was intentional. A sign of solidarity with the protesters and with what is happening back home. The moment resonated deeply, not least because Taremi was once perceived as a supporter of the regime. Years spent abroad and life in Europe appear to have reshaped his perspective.
Today, like many others, he seems to understand a simple truth. There is no substitute for freedom, and everyone deserves a voice. Especially those living under a system that suppresses them and, when threatened, shuts down their ability to exist online at all.
The protesters in Iran will not bring down Khamenei’s regime on their own. That reality is clear. Change will require pressure, support and attention from outside.
What is certain is that Iranian football has once again aligned itself with the people. Not for the first time, and probably not for the last. It underlines the unique social role football plays in Iran, as a space where resistance, identity and solidarity can still find expression. They play, and they score, for those who have no voice.
As protests spread across Iran, footballers are turning goals, silence and visibility into acts of resistance and solidarity with the people.