Doha: In a stunning symbol of protest against the oppression by their regime back home, Team Melli’s footballers did not sing their national anthem ahead of their opener with England here.
Eyes stoic, heads high in pride and lips unmoving, they showed extraordinary courage on the biggest stage, braving the often-violent wrath of the authorities that could follow back home.
When play began, England made their best-ever, hassle-free, fluid start to their World Cup campaign since… since no one remembers when. They were three goals up by the break, all of them fine, well-crafted ones. A new, brave Harry Maguire, of uncluttered mind and movement, told us that this was a different, much-changed England we would be seeing at this World Cup.
England completed the rout 6-2 thanks to two goals from Bukayo Saka and strikes by Jude Bellingham, Raheem Sterling and substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish. Mehdi Taremi scored both the goals for Iran, the second one coming from the penalty spot in the dying seconds.
Elsewhere, the other Harry in the side, Maguire’s captain Kane, did not sport the rainbow armband which he had indicated he would in support of the LGBT cause here in Qatar, to avoid a booking by FIFA for doing so.
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