Iran Women's National Football Team at the 2026 AFC Women's Championship
Before their opening match against South Korea, all the women's football players, including the head coach, stood with headscarves and solemn expressions during the national anthem.
However, they did not sing the anthem.
In fact, during the 2022 Men's World Cup in November, the men's national football team refused to sing the national anthem in support of Amini.
22-year-old Iranian woman Amini was traveling in Tehran when she was stopped and arrested near a metro station by Iran's so-called "moral police." She was taken to the hospital after only three hours of detention and died three days later. Iranian police claimed she suffered a "sudden heart attack," while Amini's family stated she was in excellent health. Some media outlets reported that she suffered a severe head injury in the police car.
However, due to pressure, the men's national football team subsequently resumed singing the national anthem in later matches.
Hopefully, there will be no more incidents like Amini's in Iran!

