Where Is The Morality In Global Football?

It’s hard to have a moral stance in any global sport.

It’s a world where National Wealth Funds are buying teams in an attempt to wash away their human rights records, and it can make it extremely hard to really enjoy what you’re watching. Can you actually enjoy watching Erling Haaland’s generational skill without thinking about the UAE’s willingness to arrest social dissidents? Or watching Newcastle’s Miggy Almeron without thinking about Saudi Arabia’s killing, and subsequent attempt at covering up that killing, of journalist Jamal Khashoggi?

Amazingly fluid players like Neymar Jr are outwardly embracing Brazilian right wing president Jair Bolsonaro, in the same week that Iranian international footballers are being jailed for “publishing pictures that lead to the spread of corruption and prostitution in society” — or you know, posting a picture to twitter with women not wearing hijabs.

That latest incident speaks to the growing unrest in Iran after the killing of Mahsa Amini, who was taken into custody by Iranian officials for refusing to wear a hijab. A cultural strike point that’s seeing Iranian citizens growing in their fight against an oppressive regime.

Iran players wearing black jackets which covered up the national team badge.

The Iranian National team has done their part, covering up their national team symbols and wearing black jackets during the playing of the…