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  "path": "/2026/04/01/iran-footballers-hold-pictures-children-killed-us-israel-airstrikes-world-cup-warm-up-27802468/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-01T10:24:30.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Iran football team",
    "World Cup",
    "Iran",
    "allegedly killed in US and Israeli airstrikes",
    "Fifa",
    "Turkey",
    "Israel",
    "Donald Trump",
    "Mexico",
    "Canada",
    "Sign up here",
    "negotiations to move their group fixtures outside of the US",
    "check our sport page",
    "Facebook",
    "Twitter",
    "Instagram",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
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  "textContent": "Iran honoured the victims before their friendly with Costa Rica (Picture: Getty)\n\nIran’s men’s football national team held up pictures of children allegedly killed in US and Israeli airstrikes ahead of their friendly with Costa Rica.\n\nPlayers and staff members all took part in the demonstration, with some also showing pictures damaged hospitals and historical buildings caused by the ongoing conflict in the region.\n\nIt follows similar scenes before Iran’s friendly with Nigeria on Friday, when players lined up with school rucksacks to honour victims of the same strike, which left at least 170 people, from a school in the southern Iranian city of Minab, dead.\n\nThe latest protest took place in front of Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who had travelled to Turkey amid ongoing uncertainy surrounding Iran’s participation in this summer’s World Cup.\n\nThe war with the US and Israel saw American President Donald Trump recently suggest that Iran should not travel to the tournament, held in the USA, Mexico and Canada, ‘for their own life and safety’.\n\nIran are set to play all three of the group-stage games in the USA, and Infantino insisted that would remain the case despite the ongoing conflict.\n\n‘Iran will be at the World Cup,’ he told AFP. ‘We’re delighted because they’re a very, very strong team, I’m very happy.\n\n##  Your football fix\n\n**Metro** 's Head of Sport James Goldman delivers punchy analysis, transfer talk and his take on the week's biggest stories direct to your inbox every week.\n\nSign up here, it's an open goal.\n\nIran’s players honour the victims of a school bombing (Picture: Getty)\n\nThe team’s head coach and national officials joined in on the demonstration (Picture: Getty)\n\n‘The matches will be played where they are supposed to be, according to the draw.\n\nI’ve seen the team, I’ve spoken to the players and the coach, so everything is fine.’\n\nIran had previously said it was in negotiations to move their group fixtures outside of the US, with Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, insisting the country would step up if needed.\n\nFifa President Gianni Infantino was in the stands as the protest took place (Picture: Getty)\n\nIran’s Minister of Sports and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali, also previously hinted that the nation would not be able to participate in the tournament.\n\nBut speaking on Tuesday, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, the vice president of the Iranian Football Federation, gave the clearest indication yet that Iran, who beat Costa Rica 5-0 in the friendly, will not boycott the tournament.\n\n‘For us, what matters most are Fifa’s rules and regulations. We will comply with whatever Fifa decides,’ the vice president said.\n\n‘Every host country has made commitments to Fifa and must honour them.’\n\nOn Infantino’s appearance at the friendly, held in the Turkish coastal town Antalya, he added: ‘Having learned that we were organising friendly matches here, he came to see us in person, and we had a fruitful discussion.\n\n‘Given our history in this competition, it is only natural that Fifa should support the Iranian team. Mr Infantino is providing the necessary support to our national team and has given our players a great boost.’\n\n**For more stories like this, check our sport page**.\n\n**Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on**Facebook,** Twitter and Instagram**.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Iran footballers hold up pictures of children killed in US and Israel airstrikes"
}