The upcoming match between Iran and the United States today – within the Qatar World Cup 2022 – brought back memories of the 1998 World Cup with scenes of mutual respect between the players of these two countries, who were separated by politics and brought together by football stadiums.
The confrontation, which will be hosted by Al-Thumama Stadium, will be another scene of the presence of politics in the field of sports during the World Cup.
1938: Italy-France
In a very tense geopolitical context, and in light of the outbreak that engulfed Europe, France hosted the third edition of the World Cup, and on June 12 France faced Italy in the quarter-finals at Stade Colombes (Italy won 3-1).
The Italians wore a black shirt similar to the shirt of the Mussolini regime’s militias, and gave a fascist salute to 60,000 spectators, and the audience responded at the time with boos during the Italian anthem.
Football, in Mussolini’s view, was a way to show the superiority of the fascist ideology, and the Italian national team went far in the competition at that time, until it won its second consecutive historic title.
1974: The two Germans meet
On June 22, 1974, the enemy brothers from West and East Germany faced off in Hamburg (west) on the “Volkspark” stadium, which was crowded with fans.
In the midst of the Cold War, that match embodied the tension between the two sides, and the confrontation – classified in the circle of danger – ended without any obstacles, and East Germany triumphed once morest all odds with a goal scored by Jürgen Sbarwasser in the last quarter of an hour, and he remained in memory forever.
But despite this, West Germany remained in the competition and won the competition it hosted, achieving its second World Cup title.
1986: Argentina-England
On June 22, 1986, Argentina and England faced off in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Mexico, 4 years following the Falkland Islands war, which left 649 Argentine and 255 British dead.
The atmosphere was very tense between the two elected countries, whose countries severed diplomatic relations in 1982.
At each match of the competition, Argentine fans held banners saying “The Falkland Islands are Argentine” and sang patriotic songs calling for “kill the English”.
On the sidelines of the quarter-finals, clashes broke out between the fans of the two teams. As a result, dozens of injuries ranged from minor to serious.
Argentina won the match, thanks largely to the genius of Diego Maradona, who scored two legendary goals; “Hand of God” and then “Goal of the Century”.
The late Argentine legend admitted followingwards, “It was a final match for us. It was not regarding winning a match, but regarding eliminating the English.”
1998: Iran-United States
During its second participation in the World Cup, Iran found itself in 1998 in the group of its “sworn enemy”; United State.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been severed since the hostage-taking at the US Embassy in Tehran in the followingmath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The match in Lyon, France, on June 21, was an opportunity to calm down. After the national anthems were played, the American players shook hands with their opponents and presented them with souvenirs. The Iranians responded with bouquets of white roses, before the two teams took a group photo.
The Iranians won the match at the time (2-1), recording their first World Cup victory.
2018: Switzerland – Serbia
On June 22, 2018 in Kaliningrad, Russia, Serbia faced Switzerland, which has many players of Kosovar origin in its ranks.
Kosovo is a former province of Serbia inhabited mainly by Albanians. After 10 years of conflict, which was the last war that led to the implosion of the former Yugoslavia, Kosovo declared its independence in 2008, which was not recognized by Serbia, to worsen relations between Belgrade and Pristina.
Granit Xhaka, who was born in Switzerland to a Kosovar family, and Jerdan Shaqiri, who was born in Kosovo, scored two goals; Giving Switzerland a 2-1 victory over Serbia.
The two players celebrated their goals by heading towards the Serbian fans, placing their hands on their chests oppositely, drawing the black “double eagle”, the symbol of Albania, in the middle of its red flag, which sparked the indignation of the Serbian press, which denounced a “shameful provocation”.
FIFA later punished the two players by fining them €8,660 each.
