Some call it on social networks the "nuclearico" - a humorous contraction of nuclear, in reference to the tense relations between Tehran and Washington in the matter, and of classico, a meeting between two football teams that has become classic.

This neologism is in itself a summary of the issues of the upcoming meeting between Iran and the United States, Tuesday, November 29 (at 8 p.m., Paris time).

Twenty-four years after their last meeting at a World Cup, the Iranians (2nd with 3 points) and the Americans (3rd with 2 points) will play a decisive match for their future in the competition organized in Qatar.

At stake ?

A place in the round of 16.

If striker Sardar Azmoun and his teammates qualify, it would be historic, as Iran would reach the finals of international competition for the first time.

The match promises to be disputed on the field... and on the diplomatic front the United States and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since April 1980]: the Iranian Football Federation protested on Sunday against the American Federation which removed the Iranian flag emblem depicting the word Allah from social media posts.

The American selection "should be expelled from the 2022 World Cup"

The flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran is made up of three horizontal bands – green, white and red – with a calligraphic sign representing the word Allah in the center.

But the latter depiction disappeared in several posts from the American Federation on Saturday, sparking controversy.

"The Iranian Football Federation has sent an email to Fifa demanding that it sends a serious warning to the American Federation, indicated the official agency Irna. In an unprofessional act, the American Football Federation removed the emblem representing Allah of the Iranian flag".

A US Federation communications officer said it was a "one-time gesture to show our solidarity with women in Iran".

"The flag has never been changed on the official website of the federation," he added.

Two days away.

pic.twitter.com/iPz10sFNto

— US Men's National Soccer Team (@USMNT) November 27, 2022

Later in the day, a spokesperson for the American Federation said the controversial social media posts had been removed – a visual restoring the flag of Iran was also posted.

But "we continue to support women's rights in Iran," he said.

The incident comes as Iran has been the scene for several months of a protest movement sparked on September 16 by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd who died after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran.

By posting a distorted image of the flag of the Islamic Republic of #Iran on its official account, the #US football team breached the @FIFAcom charter, for which a 10-game suspension is the appropriate penalty.


Team #USA should be kicked out of the #WorldCup2022 pic.twitter.com/c8I4i4z3Tv

— Tasnim News Agency (@Tasnimnews_EN) November 27, 2022

The pro-Iranian news agency Tasmin was even more vocal on Sunday.

According to her, the gesture of the American Federation "violated the charter of Fifa, for which a suspension of 10 matches is the appropriate sanction", and believes that the selection of the United States "should be expelled from the 2022 World Cup. ".

Fifa has not yet officially reacted to this controversy.

1998, a precedent which was placed under the sign of appeasement

Tuesday's match promises to be a little more tense than the first meeting between the two nations at the World Cup in France in 1998. At that time, diplomatic relations between the two countries were already broken. – since the hostage taking of the American embassy in Tehran, which followed the Iranian Revolution of 1979.

But this match, played on June 21 at the Gerland stadium in Lyon, represented an opportunity for peace between the two countries.

Shortly before the match, then-US President Bill Clinton said, "As we cheer for today's match between American and Iranian athletes, I hope it will be another step towards an end to the estrangement between our nations."

After the national anthems, American footballers shook hands with their opponents by offering them pennants.

Each of them had received a bouquet of white roses in return.

The players of the two teams then take a photo together – outside the official protocol – which will make a mark.

📷 After the handshake between the two captains, probably the longest in the World Cup, the opportunity is only too good for American players and Iranian players to pose together for the photo of the match.

pic.twitter.com/uJMTVaZKgb

— FC Geopolitics (@FCGeopolitics) January 8, 2020

The Iranians finally won (1-2) on the green rectangle.

"We've done more in ninety minutes than politicians have done in twenty years," former US defender Jeff Agoos said after the game.

Asked about the 20th anniversary of this match in 2018, Iranian coach Jalal Talebi said: "We [Iranians and Americans] are not enemies. We can play together, respect each other, shake hands, wish good luck and move on to the next game. We weren't there to fight, we were there to play sports."

May these words find a new echo in Tuesday's game.

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