Written on 24 May 2022.

Why The Iranian National Team Playing in Canada is a Good Idea

Recently, Canada Soccer announced it would be inviting the Iranian men’s team to play a friendly against Canada. The game has been scheduled for June 5 at BC Place in Vancouver, and the decision has not been without criticism. Already, the mayor of Vancouver and even Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau have both given their opinions on the move.

“This was a choice by Soccer Canada,” Trudeau said. “I think it wasn’t a very good idea to invite the Iranian soccer team here to Canada, but that’s something the organizers are going to have to explain.”

The issue with Iran playing in Canada mostly comes from the fact that fifty-five Canadians were among those onboard Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, which was shot down by Iranian missiles shortly after taking off from Tehran on January 8, 2020. The incident was blamed on human error and unfortunately led to the loss of 176 people.

Now, in preparation for the 2022 World Cup, Canada and Iran will play against each other for the first time since the incident. Canada, which is home to MLS teams such as the Vancouver Whitecaps, has qualified for its first World Cup since 1986. While Canada’s soccer teams are currently outsiders for the MLS championship at Betway, Canada has a stronger national side than ever. A match against Iran is controversial, but it’s an excellent way to prepare for the country’s best-ever chance of success in the World Cup.

Who is Against Canada Hosting Iran?

Tensions between the US and Iran have been high since 1953, when the CIA funded a coup to overthrow the democratically elected leadership. They recently escalated in 2019, with the development of the Persian Gulf crisis that culminated with the downing of Flight 752. This unfortunate incident also led to tensions with Canada, which had at that point not been involved. Unfortunately, this has led to anti-Iranian sentiment in Canada.

The Star newspaper, which is the country’s largest online news site, held a poll on whether Canada Soccer should proceed with the friendly. An overwhelming 85% of the 13,000 voters were against it. Unfortunately, it seems that public sentiment among many Canadians is against the move, although Canada Soccer themselves disagreed with the controversy.

In a statement, Canada Soccer announced that they believe in the power of sport and its ability to bring people from different backgrounds and political beliefs together for a common purpose.

“Iran is one of 32 participating member associations at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and Canada Soccer continues to follow all international protocols in staging this match. We are focused on preparations for our men’s national team to compete on the world stage.”

Why The Teams Playing One Another is a Positive Thing

Sport has always been a way for people of different backgrounds to come together and be free from any political tensions. In the First World War, the opposing soldiers were able to enjoy football together for one day in a moment of short peace, showing that sport can transcend politics. Refusing to play damages the integrity of sport and punishes the athletes for something that is outside of their control. Mixing sports and politics is almost always a bad idea and

While it’s true that Canada Soccer could have chosen other teams to play against, Iran will be facing the US in the 2022 World Cup. As such, it makes sense to judge fan reactions to playing a North American team. This way, it helps to prepare the US for their match too and provides a way to assess how fans will react towards each other. Hostility between fans is unlikely, but it makes sense to be prepared.