By Vania Raebel | October 7, 2019
Iran’s Football Obsession
Football (or soccer) is a big deal in Iran. Even though freestyle wrestling is considered Iran’s national sport, football is undeniably the most popular, with a huge following throughout the country. Whenever the national men’s team plays, millions around the country tune in to witness the action.
The national men’s team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup five times, playing in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014, and 2018. They also won the AFC Asian Cup in 1968, 1972, and 1976, and bagged gold medals in the Asian Games in 1974, 1990, 1998, and 2002. Iran also has a women’s team, whose members are usually required to play while wearing hijabs. FIFA, however, banned hijabs in 2007, which unfortunately prevented the women’s team from playing in a 2012 Olympic qualifier game.
