Iran women's football team refuse to sing national anthem before Asia Cup match
A group of supporters were also seen flying the pre-Islamic Revolutionary flag
The Iranian women's football team refused to sing their national anthem before their Asia Cup match against South Korea on Monday night.
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The national anthem, Mehr-e Khavaran, was played ahead of kick off at the Cbus Super Stadium in Queensland, Australia, yet, footage showed the team remained silent - staring straight ahead and some clearly emotional.
A small number of supporters were also seen flying the pre-Islamic Revolutionary flag featuring the golden lion and sun.
Iran head coach Marziyeh Jafari was pictured on the sidelines smiling as the anthem was played, although the match ended up in a 3-0 win for South Korea.
Read more: Will Iran boycott the World Cup — and what would it mean for the tournament?
A defying silence
— Throwback Iran (@Tarikh_Eran) March 2, 2026
The Iranian women’s football national team REFUSED to sing the anthem of the Islamic regime.
Side note: By the time their next game comes up, they probably don’t even have to wear those hijabs anymore. pic.twitter.com/YrqJaYpnln
It comes after it was confirmed earlier this week US-Israeli strikes had killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had ruled the country since 1989.
In the pre-match press conference, Jafari declined to comment on the military strikes or the death of her country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying the squad needed to keep their focus on the tournament.
She said: “We shouldn’t be talking about these issues at all now.
“Right now, the team is in a very important competition that holds great rights for women [...] next question.”
The moment unfolded against the backdrop of escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Following the assassination, Tehran has since launched counterattacks targeting Israel, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Speaking on the sporting moment, journalist Tracey Holmes wrote on X: “None of the Iranian players, nor the coach, sang the national anthem ahead of their match at the Women's Asian Cup on the Gold Coast, despite being instructed to do so before they left Iran so as not to embarrass the regime.
“They have obviously taken strength from events unfolding in their country.”
Iran are scheduled to face the Australia on Thursday night, again on the Gold Coast, with the hosts having opened their account with a 1-0 win against The Philippines.