[58718] Iran prepares a state ceremony for the national football team ahead of the World Cup

A controversial farewell ceremony for the Iranian national team

The Iranian Football Federation announced that on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, an official farewell ceremony will be held for the national football team, ahead of its departure for the World Cup. According to Iran International, which is affiliated with the Iranian opposition and consistently criticizes the government, this is a "tasham-e hokumati" (a government-sponsored gathering) where the new team uniforms will also be unveiled.

On the other hand, Kanale Akhbar-e Sepah-e Pasdaran, a channel identified with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that represents the regime's official narrative, reported that the event will take place on Wednesday, 23 Ordibehesht 1405 (according to the Persian calendar, corresponding to May 13, 2026), at 20:00 at the Islamic Revolution Square in Tehran.

The difference in coverage highlights the tension surrounding national sporting events in Iran. While the establishment views the ceremony as an opportunity to demonstrate national and regime loyalty, Iran International portrays the event in a light of politicization, using the term "tasham-e hokumati" to label the occasion as a propaganda tool of the regime.