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The Politics of Football in Iran

This essay attempts to show that the history of football in Iran has been intimately intertwined with politics, both domestic and international. Although the national sport of Iran is wrestling, Iran's first place in the 1998 world championships, held in Teheran, caused far less excitement in Iran than the country's mere participation in the 1998 soccer World Cup. In Iran nationalism peaks around football probably because many consider collective action a truer test of a country's spirit than individual talent. Given the Islamic Republic's persistent attempts to keep global culture at bay, the widespread popularity of football in Iran calls for some explanation. The transition from wrestling to football as Iran's most popular sport, argues the essay, therefore reflects the social and political changes that have occurred in the country. The aim of the essay is therefore to analyze the interplay between the popularization of football, social change, state policies and politics. The game's persistent popularity in Iran shows that Iranians' insertion in global culture has continued unabated.