Iran’s Coach and Forward Emphatically State: “We Are Not Political”
Ahead of their opening FIFA World Cup match against New Zealand, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei and forward Mehdi Taremi have declared they are playing for all Iranians, downplaying any political affiliations amidst looming protest concerns.

Joey Lynch Close Joey Lynch is a Melbourne-based sports journalist and AYA cancer advocate. Primarily working on football, he has covered the Socceroos, Matildas and A-Leagues for ESPN for over a decade. Follow on X
_Originally reported by [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49066875/mehdi-taremi-says-team-melli-playing-every-iranian-wc)._
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation.
Loading comments…
