The Iranian men's national football team paid solemn tribute to victims of a deadly school attack during their match against Nigeria, wearing black armbands and carrying school backpacks as the national anthem played.
The gesture honoured the memory of at least 170 people, including students and teachers, who were killed in an airstrike on a primary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab on February 28.
The players stood in silent remembrance before kickoff, holding the symbolic backpacks to represent the young lives lost in the attack. The tribute came during what Iranian officials described as the opening day of broader Middle East conflicts.
The strike on the educational facility marked one of the deadliest single incidents affecting civilians, particularly children, in the region's recent escalation of violence. Iranian authorities reported that the school was in session when the attack occurred.
Football has long served as a platform for social and political expression, with national teams frequently using matches to highlight humanitarian concerns or pay respects to victims of tragedy.
The Iranian team's gesture reflects a broader tradition of athletes using their visibility to draw attention to civilian casualties and humanitarian crises affecting their communities.
This article is based on reporting by Sarah Mitchell, originally published in the National Post. Additional context provided by WestNet News.