Through the Lens of Team Melli

To my brothers and sisters in Iran,

We were born in different hospitals, on opposite sides of the world, but the
first language we heard, the first pheromones we smelled, and the first food
We tasted, were the same.
We shared the same culture, the same history, the same traditions. We
also shared the same team. Team Melli.

Ali Daei. Azizi. Mahdavi-kia. Karimi. Jahanbakhsh. Taremi. Rezaeian.
Beiranvand. These names were as important to us as Jordan, Kobe, or
Brady. And not just every 4 years – every Asian Cup, qualifiers, and of
course the World Cup itself. We additionally carried replica jerseys of the
popular domestic clubs, Persepolis and Esteghlal, for some added style
and substance. In a world in which we were not only geographically
separated but also metaphysically, Team Melli became our opportunity to
display our brotherhood and sisterhood on a world stage. In the stands, on
the trams heading to the games, and in the cafes watching the team play, it
was
impossible to distinguish us apart. Iranian jerseys, Iranian flags, and Iranian
face paint adorned every fan regardless of their country of residence. The
only difference was the accent – simply another dialect to weave into the
tapestry of the Iranian diaspora around the world. But our expressions, our
passion, and our support, remained virtually identical.
We proudly boasted Ali Daei’s international goal scoring record; we fondly
recounted Azizi’s mystifying equalizer that cemented our qualification for
the 1998 World Cup, where Mahdavi-Kia secured our first win in the
tournament. We stayed awake to watch Karimi’s hat-trick against South
Korea in the 2004 Asian Cup and Jahanbaksh’s late penalty kick stunner in
the 2023 competition; in fact, Team Melli was the only reason our
education-minded parents would allow us to jeopardize sleep on a school
night. This certainly was not an available excuse for me and my daddash in

2002 or 2010 when Team Melli failed to qualify for the World Cup and we
begged our parents to no avail to permit us to stay up late to watch other
teams play.
As we witnessed our society to become more divisive over the years, so
too did the collective unconditional support for our team. While some
factions of supporters expressed their dissonance in maintaining their
fandom for the team, we continued to support our brothers wearing the
Team Melli shirt. The 90 minutes we held Messi and the Argentinian team
to a scoreless tie (before admittedly getting heartbroken by a classic Messi
left-footer in the top left
corner) in 2014, or Beiranvand’s “Wall of Persia” against Cristiano
Ronaldo’s penalty kick in 2018 are forever etched into our memories.
Those of us living in Los Angeles and other major cities in the world likely
grew up supporting additional teams in other sports that dominated local
media, bringing with them several defining celebrations and legacies
throughout our lifetimes. But to this date – none have stood up to Ramin
Rezaeian’s stoppage time goal in the 101’ minute to secure victory over
Wales in Qatar. We were there together in Doha, hugging and kissing each
other, dancing and waving the colors of the Iranian flag, and ultimately
sealing a unified bond behind our very own Team Melli. We rode the wave
of that victory for years; it was that cathartic.
Though we lost the following game and did not advance to the next round,
it was a fair result and one we accepted. Steadfast and resolved though we
remained eager for the next opportunity to support our national team.
Looking ahead to the following World Cup- we could not believe the
opportunity ahead of us. Imagining Team Melli, playing in the 2026 World
Cup in Los Angeles, in front of so many of us displaced Iranians alongside
our family and friends, seemed too good to be true.
And alas, it was. Political events just months prior to the tournament
suddenly led to the team potentially not participating whatsoever and

further divided the support from the Iranian diaspora spread throughout the
world. Yet we maintained our hope to be able to utilize this opportunity to
display our support for these players, our brothers. Particularly to make up
for
the ardent Iranian supporters unable to travel from the motherland due to
visa restrictions- this was our chance to show all of our brothers and sisters
back home that we are here- together, always.
The entire world witnessed and acknowledged the discrimination and
unequal circumstances the Iranian National Team were forced to endure.
Regardless of an individual player’s personal ideology or sociopolitical
opinion, they likely felt trapped. Speak up, for, or against, and it would lead
to some consequence outside the boundaries of the world’s most beautiful
game. While our brothers, who had dedicated their lives to this sport – and
must have felt immense pride and joy to be selected for the team and
qualify for the World Cup- put their heads down and focused on the game
itself, the rest of the world struggled to separate the game from non-
sporting events.
We watched our team relocate their preparations and base to a completely
different country. We read about the harassment and logistical issues they
faced on game days dealing with customs and international travel. We
heard the boos from some ticket holders when the anthem was played. We
couldn’t even imagine how the players must have felt in these moments, or
when they were forced to board an international flight immediately after the
game without sufficient or equitable time for recovery. But once that whistle
blew and the 90 minutes started, we were united behind our beloved Team
Melli once again.
And how beautiful it was. Three 90-plus minutes of hope, belief, and
optimism. 270 minutes of solidarity and pride. Team Melli truly looked
world-class, confident, and ready to win, not only for themselves, but also
for a population of people who have been looking for any reason to
celebrate and share a happy moment together. They gave us joy and

excitement in a period of time where it seems increasingly harder to wholly
experience either. And then, within seconds, it was stolen. Seconds (or
centimeters/inches to be exact) in each game that impacted not only the
outcome of a match that ultimately has no significance in our existential
lives but also reminded us that not even sports can be immune to external
influences. It felt as though we couldn’t even enjoy something as simple as
this- a game between two teams trying to put the ball in the net.
For those of us watching the final seconds of Iran’s participation in the 2026
World Cup in person, we can only imagine the collective animosity, anger,
and dejection from every supporter watching around the world. We have
had our fair share of disappointments over the years- but this one was
different. The build-up, the circumstances, the inequity, and the significance
of this
moment hurt. It really hurt.
Team Melli, you made us so proud. You showed the world your talent and
courage. But what stood out to us most- was your class. The manner in
which you respectfully conducted press interviews, diplomatically
responded to questions around unjust game decisions, and expressed your
love for the Iranian people around the world, made us immensely prideful to
share the
same heritage as you all. You epitomized the gratitude and hospitality of all
Iranians by vocalizing your appreciation for our caring Mexican neighbors
who hosted you with such grace and warmth.
The 2026 World Cup has moved on. For the first time, despite Team Melli
not qualifying for the knockout stages in previous tournaments either, we
couldn’t muster the resolve to watch the other games. It was not a ‘boycott’,
as we fully recognize the tournament’s mighty global appeal and financial
support, but rather a product of disappointment that even sports could not
withstand interference. Any goal celebration, offsides call, or VAR review
summoned the

heartbreak of having Shoja Khalilzadeh’s stunning winning goal overturned,
effectively ending their inspiring World Cup run amidst egregiously unfair
sporting and political conditions.
Time will surely heal, as it always does, and we will likely be shouting
towards our screens from all corners of the globe the next time Team Melli
plays. And until then, we still speak the same language, we still offer any
and all foreigners to taste our delicious homemade food, and we still feel
the same pain and disappointment towards the current state of the world.
But we remain connected as brothers and sisters, unified behind our
heritage, culture, and traditions.
And of course, behind Team Melli.

Written by: Ali Brownlow

Also this article was published first on line at https://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php/special/more/129233/