USA’s Antonee Robinson wins praise for comforting Iran players at World Cup

30-Nov-2022 13:23:34 | The Guardian

Defender embraced opponents after World Cup match
Iran players have dealt with off-field pressure at tournament

Much was made of the geopolitics surrounding USA’s World Cup match with Iran on Tuesday, but the animosity between the two countries’ governments was not reflected on the pitch.

After the Americans sealed a tense 1-0 victory to progress to the knockout stages in Qatar, the USA full-back Antonee Robinson took time to comfort Iranian players as they took in their exit from the tournament. The Fulham player embraced fellow defender Ramin Rezaeian, who was in tears, and spent time with Abolfazl Jalali, who had slumped to the turf at the final whistle. Images and footage of Robinson and the Iran players quickly went viral on social media, where he won praise for his empathy.