In Iran the World Cup used to trigger joy on our streets. It feels very different now (opens in new tab)

A growing divide between fans and team, coupled with economic hardship and war, has dampened the moodAbbas Kiarostami, the late Iranian director, made a film called Life, and Nothing More …, set during the 1990 World Cup in Italy. The film tells the story of a father and son who, during the tournament, travel to an earthquake-stricken village that had served as the location for Kiarostami’s earlier films. The son, eager to watch Argentina play Brazil, finds a villager who, despite having lost...