Protesters urge FIFA to ban Iran from World Cup

Protesters gathered outside the FIFA Congress building in Vancouver, calling for Iran’s national football team to be barred from participating in the World Cup.

Participants said the team does not represent the Iranian people and alleged links between it and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Caliber.Az reports, citing Iran International.

They urged FIFA to exclude Iran from the tournament, drawing parallels with Russia’s previous suspension and citing the suppression of protests in the Islamic Republic, including the killing of demonstrators.

Outside the venue, protesters waved the Iranian flag bearing the lion and sun emblem and chanted slogans against the Islamic Republic, calling for political change in Iran.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov