The national teams began their preparation for the 2022 World Cup to be held between November 21 and December 18 in Qatar. 32 countries will participate in the most important soccer tournament in the world, but only one will be crowned champion of the 2022 World Cup, France isthe defending champion.
Canada qualified for the World Cup after 36 years, after a great qualifying campaign. Finished in first place in the CONCACAF standings with 28 points and just two games lost. Iran was another country to qualify for Qatar 2022. The national team led by Dragan Skočić qualified first in Group A of the Asian qualifiers with 25 points and only one match lost.
Iran will be part of Group B of the World Cup along with England, the United States, and Euro play-off (Wales, Scotland, or Ukraine). While Canada will be part of Group F together with Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco. As Iran and Canada are in different groups, they had agreed to play a friendly on June 5, but the match was canceled.
Why was the 2022 international friendly game canceled?
Canada Soccer has canceled theplanned friendly with Iran in the face of growing criticism. The governing body gave no reason for the cancellation of the scheduled June 5 game at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver. But the idea of hosting the Iranian team has drawn condemnation since it was first announced. And it is believed that this is what caused the suspension of the match.
The match that was going to be played between Canada and Iran drew the scorn of the families of those who died aboard Flight PS752 when the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down the plane in 2020. International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down on January 8, 2020, minutes after taking off from Tehran, by an Iranian surface-to-air missile. The Canadian government says 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents were among the 176 people killed.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week the game “wasn’t a very good idea”. The Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims called for Canada Soccer “to cancel the game immediately”. The families said the exhibition match was an insult to those still seeking justice for their loved ones.
“We are happy,” said Hamed Esmaeilion, spokesperson for the association representing victims’ families in Canada after the match was suspended. “This is the right thing to do”. Iran, for its part, did not stand idly by. Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, on Tuesday, accused Canada of politicizing the match.
“Canada Soccer has canceled the international match that was scheduled for 5 June 2022 against Iran as part of the Men’s National Team preparations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Additional details will be provided to all ticket purchasers”, Canada Soccer said in a brief statement.