TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iranian football legend Khodadad Azizi, who played in the first World Cup meeting between Iran and the United States in 1998, has told AFP that football should promote “peace” and remain separate from politics.

Azizi, 54, was speaking as Iran prepare to play their first match at the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, the country they have been at war with since February.

Nicknamed Team Melli, Iran will open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday, hoping to reach the knockout stage for the first time in their history.

“If we beat New Zealand, we will advance from our group, and that is not a difficult task,” Azizi said in an exclusive interview.

The match comes after the Iranian squad has had to overcome a series of additional hurdles.

They relocated the team’s base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to the Mexican border city of Tijuana and said the US initially refused visas for 15 members of the delegation, including football federation chief Mehdi Taj.

Azizi was part of the Iran side that defeated the United States 2-1 in the countries’ first World Cup meeting at the 1998 tournament in France.

In a widely remembered gesture before kick-off, players exchanged flowers, while Iranian captain and goalkeeper Ahmadreza Abedzadeh presented Iranian handicrafts to the American side.

Azizi recalled that a group photo was also proposed by organisers.

“Because it was about football, and there were political differences between the governments, the idea of a group photo was proposed since football is a symbol of peace,” Azizi told AFP.

The former striker, nicknamed The Speedy Gazelle by Iranian commentators, said he did not observe any inappropriate behaviour during the match, which ended with FIFA awarding both sides the Fair Play Award.

“I personally exchanged jerseys with the player wearing the number two in the US squad [Frankie Hejduk],” Azizi said. “Through this gesture in the match against the US, we wanted to show that football is above politics.”

Azizi, now a television commentator in Iran, said he regretted that the atmosphere at the current tournament is “filled with nothing but politics”.

On the treatment of teams entering the United States, he added, “I have never seen this level of strictness regarding teams’ entry,” and contrasted it with what he described as the “respect and dignity” shown in 1998.

Azizi also criticised FIFA, saying, “How is America any different from Germany or France?

Do you think the players have any other choice? These issues are happening because of FIFA’s weakness,” he added.

Despite the controversies, Azizi said the Iran team members had told him via messaging apps that they were thinking about matters on the pitch.

“The team is not thinking about these matters at all; they are laser-focused on football,” he said.

He also dismissed criticism from Iranian dissidents who accuse the team of representing the authorities rather than the public.

“A player plays for his country, not for political reasons,” Azizi said.