Iranian soccer hero 'declared to participate in the war' Taremi "will fight the U.S" The national football association is also embarrassed. "Please just play soccer."

*This content was translated by AI.

Iranian soccer hero Mehdi Taremi (34, Olympiacos), who played for Italy's prestigious Inter Milan in the past, has decided to take off his soccer shoes and lift a gun for his country, sending a big shock to the soccer community.

"Taremi, who currently plays for Olympiacos in the Greek Super League, recently announced her intention to return to her home country to the team's management," Turkiye media "Haverler" reported on the 3rd (local time). Taremi's decision stems from a national crisis that has been heightened by recent attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.

According to the media, Taremi emphasized that he was ready to go to the front line, saying, "I want to join the military command and command structure and contribute directly to Iran's defense."

The Iranian Football Association is embarrassed by Taremi's move. The association's leaders are earnestly persuading Taremi to remain in Greece to continue her career and promote national prestige, but Taremi's will is known to be very firm.

"This is the moment my country needs me the most," Taremi said in a conversation with her aides. With my people and hometown in danger, I expressed my determination to participate in the war, saying, "The place where I should be is the field, not the stadium."

In June last year, Taremi complained on her social networking service (SNS) that "Leave Iran still" when the military conflict between Iran and Israel halted flights at all airports in Iran, making it difficult to participate in the Club World Cup.

Currently, Taremi and Iran's national team players are on the verge of failing to participate in the World Cup. According to Spanish media Marca, Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Association, hinted at a boycott on his own broadcast, saying it was practically difficult to participate in the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup. Currently, even Iran's own league has been suspended indefinitely.

The decisive reason for the boycott is none other than the venue of the game. Iran, which passed the Asian qualifiers and was in Group G of the finals, will face Belgium and New Zealand in Los Angeles, and play Egypt and Seattle. The fact that all three group matches will be played in the United States was a fatal blow to the Iranian national team's participation in the World Cup.

Taremi is one of Asia's top strikers who has proven his unrivaled attacking stat on the European stage. For Porto, he played 147 official matches for three seasons, scoring 80 goals and 49 assists. In particular, he surpassed 40 offensive points for three consecutive seasons and became the league's top scorer in the 2022-2023 season.

Based on his performance, he joined Italy's prestigious Inter Milan for the first time in July last year and played a season, and is currently moving to Olympiacos, Greece.

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*This content was translated by AI.