Iran’s national football team has arrived in Mexico ahead of the upcoming football World Cup. The team is staying in Mexico for last-minute preparation and training before playing three group-stage matches in the United States later this month. Before setting off, the team kept up its long-standing tradition by kissing the Holy Quran and walking beneath it to begin the journey.
At a farewell ceremony in Antalya, Turkey, before departing for Mexico, players and officials were seen kissing the Holy Quran and walking beneath it. The video, which spread on social media, has generated wide discussion. The custom is long-standing in Iranian culture: before an important trip or mission, kissing the Quran and passing beneath it is seen as a symbol of seeking Allah’s protection, guidance and the blessing of success. Beyond a religious rite, it is also an expression of national unity, faith and pride.
Iran’s participation in this World Cup — jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada — has been complicated from the start, mainly because of the ongoing war between Iran and Israel and the United States’ involvement in it. Because of visa-processing problems, Iran had to move its initial training camp from Tucson in the US state of Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, very close to the California border. The team had earlier been training in the Turkish Mediterranean city of Antalya and flew directly to Mexico on a private plane.
In March this year, US President Donald Trump had discouraged Iran from taking part in the tournament. Expressing concern over the players’ “lives and safety,” he said he did not think it “appropriate” for Iran to take part in the World Cup in the circumstances. But the day after Trump’s remark, Iran’s national team responded sharply, making clear that “no one has the power” to exclude or “boycott” Iran from the World Cup. Having overcome all the obstacles, the Iranian team is now preparing for the battle on the pitch.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report