US-Iran World Cup meetings: 1998 and 2022
The US and Iran only met in World Cup play in 1998 and 2022 — over 20 years apart — before meeting again in the context of active conflict in 2026.
Where this was said
Iran Qualifies for 1998 World Cup: A Defining Family Memory
At 26:24 · chapter starts 25:40
In 1998, Iran's national team was strong. Kevin and Farhad started following them closely, cutting out newspaper articles about their matches. Then one day Farhad sat his family down with big news: Iran had qualified for the World Cup. Kevin says it took him just two guesses to figure out what the announcement was, and it's a moment he will always remember. Iran then played — and beat — the United States 2-1 in what was the first-ever meeting between the two nations in World Cup play. For Kevin, it was the first time his two identities were pitted against each other in the sport he loved.
The 2022 Qatar Trip: Soccer and Mecca
When Kevin decided to take his father Farhad to see the US-Iran game at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Farhad planned the itinerary with legendary precision — maps, train times, two backup copies. But Kevin had one addition: they'd start the trip with Farhad's lifelong dream of visiting Mecca. A religious pilgrimage followed by a sports pilgrimage.
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