At a time when tensions between Iran and the West are elevated and the fate of the 2015 nuclear deal hangs in the balance, a forthcoming athletic encounter resembling what pundits call “ping-pong diplomacy” is revitalizing hopes that there are still opportunities for narrowing gaps between the two sides.
The draw for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was announced in early April, and Iran, one of the four Asian representatives, was lined up to play the United States and England. The fourth team in Group B, dubbed the most politically charged group in the vaunted event, will be chosen through the European playoffs between Scotland, Ukraine and Wales.
As soon as the draw determined the matchups in the first World Cup hosted by a Middle East nation, focus was shifted to the Iran-US faceoff, which will be their second meeting in a World Cup. In 1998, Iran defeated the United States 2-1 in their first showpiece when the two squads exchanged flowers and jerseys as an indication of cordiality while their governments continued to be at daggers drawn.
There have been tectonic ups and downs in the timeline of Iran-US relations since the much-hyped tourney 24 years ago, including the first direct negotiations between the two states that preceded the signing of the Iran nuclear deal.
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