When Iran’s World Cup team stepped off their plane in Tijuana, Mexico on Sunday, they weren’t just arriving for a soccer tournament. They were carrying a message. Every player wore a small gold pin on their jacket bearing the number “168,” a silent tribute to the people killed, most of them children, in a missile strike on an elementary school in southern Iran four months ago.
What the Number “168” Means
The players wore gold-colored pins with the number “168” on their jackets when getting off their plane Sunday in Tijuana. It referred to the people killed, most of them children, when a February 28 strike, likely launched by the U.S., hit the school in Minab in southern Iran. The school, known as Shajareh Tayyebeh, was located near a Revolutionary Guard base at the time of the attack.
The attack on the school killed at least 168 people, including about 110 children, according to Iranian officials. Iran’s embassy in Hungary publicly acknowledged the pins on Monday in a social media post that specifically referenced Minab, amplifying the tribute to an international audience.
This Is Not the First Tribute
The Tijuana arrival was not the first time Iran’s soccer team used the World Cup stage to honor those killed in the strike. Before a World Cup warmup against Nigeria in March in Antalya, Turkey, players held small backpacks to honor the victims of the deadly missile strike. Before another warmup against Costa Rica, Iran players and officials posed with pictures of children allegedly killed by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes while singing the national anthem.
The repeated tributes show that Iran’s players have made a deliberate and consistent choice to use international soccer attention as a platform for this message. Each gesture has drawn significant media coverage and social media reaction around the world.
No Country Has Accepted Responsibility
Neither the United States nor Israel has accepted responsibility for the attack on the school, which has come under staunch criticism from the United Nations and human rights groups. The U.S. military is investigating and has said it would never target civilians. Iran’s government has blamed both the U.S. and Israel for the strike, while U.S. media have reported that American military investigators believe their own forces were likely responsible for hitting the school unintentionally.
The UN’s human rights chief has urged the United States to conclude its investigation and publish its findings publicly. No official findings have been released as of this writing.
A Team Playing in the Country They Are at War With
The political backdrop surrounding Iran’s World Cup participation is unlike anything in tournament history. Iran is preparing to play all three of its group stage games inside the United States, the very country it is currently at war with. The situation has created significant complications for the delegation.
The Iran ambassador in Mexico said the country asked FIFA to move its three group stage games to Mexico after President Trump discouraged the team from attending, citing safety concerns. FIFA President Gianni Infantino dampened those attempts, saying FIFA wants the tournament to go ahead as scheduled. The U.S. has also delayed processing visas for players and denied entry to some members of the delegation who have ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Training in Mexico Instead of Arizona
The Iranian delegation traveled via private jet from Antalya on Saturday to Tijuana, following a late change of plans two weeks ago to use Mexico as a training base instead of Tucson, Arizona. It remains unclear exactly when the full team will be permitted to cross into the United States ahead of their June 15 opening game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, near Los Angeles, against New Zealand.
Iran’s schedule includes three group stage games on U.S. soil. After the New Zealand match, they travel to Inglewood again on June 21 to face Belgium, then head to Seattle on June 26 to play Egypt. The team is expected to return to Tijuana between matches to avoid extended time in the United States during the conflict.
A Possible U.S. vs. Iran Matchup Looms
Perhaps the most politically charged scenario still ahead is this: the United States and Iran could face each other directly on the soccer field. According to ABC7 Los Angeles, if both teams finish second in their respective groups, they would meet in the round of 32 on July 3 at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium in Arlington, Texas. No venue for that kind of game has ever carried more political weight.
For now, Iran’s players are focused on their first task: preparing for New Zealand on June 15. But the gold pins on their jackets make clear that soccer is not the only thing on their minds. According to U.S. News and World Report, every step of this team’s World Cup journey has carried the weight of 168 names.