r/soccer goes into a frenzy when discussing the Iranian football team's decision to wear a pin with the number 168 to remember the 168 schoolgirls killed in the Minab School bombings
Context: Iranian national football team landed in Mexico today to start their world cup journey. They were spotted wearing a pin which reads "168". This refers to the 168 school girls killed by the US bombings on girls elementary school
[Thread Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1u04q66/comment/oqfgta9/?context=3)
Sick and tired of westerners supporting the Iranian regime. This is a publicity stunt imposed on the team, it's not even laughable. Anything to distract from the atrocities committed back home.
↳ Put that MAGA bullshit away dude, nobody sane in the west is supporting the Iranian regime. We do however condemn bombing a school, but it sincerely seems like Americans don't. Being against missile strikes that target schoolgirls is not the same as "supporting the Iranian regime."
↳ Being against missile strikes that target schoolgirls is not the same as “supporting the Iranian regime”.
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[Thread Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1u04q66/comment/oqfl9av/?context=6)
While the death of the schoolgirls is obviously a tragedy, I wonder if they will also wear a 30,000 button for those Iranians slaughtered by the regime earlier this year?
↳ 30,000? It was 70,000 two months ago lmao
↳ I'm still looking for the source of this number. It only comes back to Israeli sources, which is suspect at best.
↳Fuck the Iranian regime but that number is absolutely bullshit. They managed to hack Iranian street cameras to track and kill Khamenei but don't have any footage of mass murder.
↳ Firstly, Khamenei didn't even dare to show himself in public, why are you saying he was tracked via street cameras? Secondly, here is the evidence you're looking for: [link]
↳ Ah yes. 60,000 killed in Gaza — 100% true. 30,000 killed in Iran — for sure western propaganda. You people are really pathetic.
↳ I have heard that Iran admitted to about 3,000 killed, including 200–300 police killed by armed protestors. Trump has admitted to arming the protestors.
Should be "6,488–36,500" killed for protesting the government.
↳ No brother, it's over 100,000+ killed now!!
↳ Ah yes, the "protest" which Mike Pompeo praised Mossad agents infiltrating, and Trump boasted about sending ammunition to. Makes sense.
↳ Takes a really special sort of cynical scumbag to see soccer players honoring 200 girls who were bombed to death and your first instinct is to whatabout it.
↳ Not to mention Israel has admitted that Mossad was key in inciting violence within that situation.
↳ Ach yes, people can't fight for their freedom. Next you'll try to convince me the whole Ukraine Maidan was CIA-staged.
↳ I didn't say that. But it is crazy how so many Ukrainian fighters are neo-Nazis.
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[Thread Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1u04q66/comment/oqfk9uw/?context=3)
Kinda crazy how those huge protests that got a ton of media attention have such a huge range for the death toll, and happened directly before the US and Israel tried a regime-change war.
↳ That tends to happen when the government does a total media blackout and shuts down the internet and phone lines.
↳ It also tends to happen when foreign powers attempt to orchestrate a coup — same thing happened to Iran in 1953. As part of Operation Ajax, the US paid off thugs to incite violent riots and journalists to spread misinformation. They're using the same playbook.
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[Thread Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1u04q66/comment/oqgdvxq/?context=2)
Wow, reading these comments only further proves that r/soccer is full of low-IQ people who should NEVER engage in politics. Actual PR for the Iranian regime going on in the comments.
↳ r/soccer has always been one of the few subreddits with consistently good politics because football is a global sport. Shut the fuck up, Hasbara bot.
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[Thread Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1u04q66/comment/oqfqny0/?context=2)
I love how all the Americans on this thread are going "b-but what about the protestors" as if to draw attention away from the genuinely heinous shit their own country did and continues to do.
↳ But what about the protesters? Do they really not matter at all? Why are you so happy that they died?
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[Thread Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1u04q66/comment/oqfgkxl/?context=3)
Near impossibility, but Iran needs to make it out of the group stages and somehow play and beat the US.
↳ I too love rooting for theocratic dictatorships that gun down thousands of their people in the streets.
↳ America Bad, updoots to the left fellow redditor!
Posted Jun 8, 2026, 4:38 PM UTC