As a football fan, this hurts to watch.
Mehdi Taremi scored again for Olympiakos a calm, class finish, the kind he’s built his career on. Normally, all of Iran would be celebrating. This time, there was silence. No internet. No cheers. No joy. And Taremi didn’t celebrate either.
He said it simply: he couldn’t celebrate while his people are suffering.
Right now, Iran is cut off from the world. Protests are everywhere. The response from the regime has been brutal. People can’t message their families.
Football fans can’t even watch their heroes. And yet, those heroes are still finding ways to speak without shouting.
Iranian football has always been more than a game. From World Cup qualifiers to silent anthems, players have quietly stood with the people when they could.
Legends like Ali Daei have paid a price for speaking out. Others, like Voria Ghafouri, have been detained. The risks are real.
That’s why Taremi’s silence matters. That’s why not singing the anthem matters. These are small acts, but in Iran, they carry huge weight.
As fans, we don’t just watch goals. We watch courage. And right now, Iranian footballers aren’t just playing for clubs or trophies they’re carrying the voice of millions who can’t be heard.
This isn’t politics for us.
This is football.
And football has always belonged to the people.
