After months of war, the World Cup is bringing Iranian kids back to the pitch

TEHRAN, June 21 — At a football academy in Tehran, children dribbled across the pitch while coaches barked instructions, as staff said World Cup fever was bringing youngsters back after months of war.

The conflict between Iran and the United States kept many youths at home, but coaches at the academy said football’s biggest tournament was drawing them back onto the pitch.

“Because of the war situation, our numbers have been lower than in previous years,” said Mohammad Ghiasi, a veteran football administrator who oversees youth programmes at the facility.

“But now that Iran has qualified for the World Cup, thank God, registrations have picked up significantly,” Ghiasi told AFP, joyful that they “still have several hundred students”.

Iran’s national team, nicknamed Team Melli, was among the first sides to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and Iran’s arch-foe the United States.

The hype surrounding the tournament comes as Iran pursues a historic first appearance in the knockout stage of the competition.

Team Melli opened its campaign with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand and will face Belgium in its second Group G match today, before a third game against Egypt.

The team’s participation in the tournament was overshadowed by disputes that saw it move its training base from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana, while Iranian officials previously said 15 members of the delegation were denied US visas.

The war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which retaliated with attacks on Israel and US allies in the region.

A deal reached this month between Tehran and Washington should bring an end to the conflict, which saw more than five weeks of all-out war until a ceasefire was struck in early April.

‘More enthusiastic’ 

The fighting disrupted educational activities across Iran, with many programmes suspended or moved online, affecting attendance at sports academies.

Ghiasi estimated that between 400 and 500 youngsters continue to attend programmes at the academy despite the conflict.

Coach Peyman Eghbali said participation fell at the height of the fighting but had begun recovering as attention shifted towards the World Cup.

“Conditions are gradually improving, and I’m confident that after the World Cup -- especially if the Iranian national team gets a good result -- things will improve even more,” he told AFP.

“Families and children will become more enthusiastic, and registration numbers will definitely increase.”

Another coach, Ebrahim Alavi, said enthusiasm among children had “multiplied” as the tournament approached.

“We’re seeing many more people coming to football schools and wanting to play the game,” he added.

Parents watching training sessions expressed similar hopes.

“Honestly, there’s a lot of anxiety and uncertainty these days,” said Zeinab Bahari, whose son attends the academy.

“But at least because of the tournament, some of the tension has eased,” she told AFP.

She said she hoped the national team could deliver a performance that would inspire young footballers across the country.

“Hopefully they’ll be successful and make our country proud.” — AFP