First Touch ’26 - Iran

It’s hard to find a place where politics and football are more tightly intertwined than Iran.

In this World Cup Capsule, David Gass traces how Team Melli has become a symbol of both state power and public resistance—from the 1998 “game of peace” win over the United States, to the emotionally charged 2022 rematch played amid the Mahsa Amini protests and reports of pressure from the regime.

We walk through Iran’s rise as a three-time Asian Cup champion, the disruption of the revolution and Iran–Iraq war, and their modern identity as a defensively solid, hard-to-beat side under Amir Ghalenoei, whose record is among the best in international football. With a strong domestic league, a huge diaspora talent pool, emerging attacking threats like Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, and legends like Ali Daei looming in the background, this feels like Iran’s best chance yet to finally break the World Cup group-stage ceiling—if off-field politics don’t get in the way.