WATCH: US and Iranian Soccer Players Embracing After World Cup Match Will Cleanse Your Cynical Soul

Screenshot via Twitter.

The U.S. Men’s National Team won an impressive victory over Iran on Tuesday, but their wins at the World Cup are transcending beyond just their athletic skills on the pitch, with the young men on the team serving as some of the best ambassadors in recent memory for American values.

The battle on the pitch had taken on political overtones from the hostilities between the teams’ countries. USMNT drew howls of outrage from Iran after posting images on the team’s social media accounts of the Iranian flag that omitted the Islamic Republic emblem for 24 hours to show support for the Iranians protesting the death of Mahsa Amini. The Iranian team had refused to sing their own national anthem before their match with England and several players have voiced support for the protesters.

Iranian state media called for the U.S. to be kicked out of the World Cup for the “image disruption” and “disrespect” of their flag but that demand does not seem to have received any serious consideration, and the two countries faced off Tuesday for what the official USMNT writeup described as “a crucial win-or-go-home match.”

Team USA did what they needed to do, prevailing 1-0 after a goal by forward Christian Pulisic and successfully fending off Iran’s attempts to score.

But what happened after the match ended was a victory all on its own. Iranian players were clearly devastated by the loss, and video cameras captured the Americans embracing them and offering words of comfort and encouragement.

“[T]his is the world we want,” tweeted noted foreign affairs expert Ian Bremmer, along with photos of the opposing players.

The Today Show’s Hoda Kotb called it “a beautiful moment” to see “one by one” the Team USA players going up to the Iranian players to comfort them.

Midfielder Yunus Musah told Kotb his teammates empathized with the Iranians because they had experienced tough losses like that before. “It’s not a nice feeling, so that’s why so many of our players were comforting them, it’s really tough to take that.”

Fox Sports reporter Martin Rogers spoke to forward Tim Weah as he left the stadium about that post-match moment. Said Weah:

I think it’s more than just football. I think the United States and Iran have had so many issues politically and I just wanted to show that we are all human beings and we all love each other.

I just wanted to spread peace and love and show him we come from different backgrounds, we grew up differently. He is still my family, he is still my brother and I love him the same way as the guys I grew up with.

Weah’s words about treating his fellow players as “brothers” illustrates the optimistic — perhaps naïve, but optimistic nonetheless — hope imbued in organizing these worldwide sports tournaments, that nations meeting on the sports fields can serve as an effective form of diplomacy and international friendship.

The kindness our players showed the Iranians after the match was just the latest example of the exemplary class the team has exhibited throughout this tournament.

Captain Tyler Adams rightfully earned praise for how he deftly handled a pointed question from an Iranian reporter, who criticized Adams for mispronouncing “Iran” and challenged him about America’s record on discrimination. Adams offered a sincere apology for the mispronunciation and defended the U.S. as a nation that was “continuing to make progress every single day.”

“I grew up in a White family, with obviously an African-American heritage and background as well,” Adams added, describing how he has been exposed to “different cultures” and has been able to assimilate perhaps more easily than others, but “education” was the key to understanding. “Like, you just educated me now on the pronunciation of your country. It’s a process. I think as long as you see progress, that’s the important thing.”

Adams was asked about his answer to the Iranian reporter and the other political distractions on Good Morning America, and told co-anchor T.J. Holmes that he was proud of how the team had been “laser-focused” on their goals and objectives, and not the “outside noise.” He was optimistic about their chances in the upcoming matches, describing the team as “a fearless group, brave, relentless, diverse, we have all the qualities of a team that can go out and win this thing.”

Your friendly neighborhood Mediaite contributing editor admittedly learned most of what I know about soccer from Ted Lasso, but whether you’re a fellow soccer rookie or a footie fanatic, it’s incredibly easy to cheer for Team USA. This is a group of young men who were unquestionably genetically blessed with athletic talent, but the character they have shown is a product of their own personal choices to represent the highest ideal of American values, and their camaraderie for each other is clearly evident.

The USMNT Twitter account shared several video clips of the team’s post-match jubilation, including this sweet moment where Antonee “Jedi” Robinson was overwhelmed and comforted by his teammates, just as they had embraced the Iranians shortly before.

And any red-blooded American can’t help but smile watching the guys dance around in celebration as they returned to their hotel Tuesday evening.

The U.S. now advances to the knockout rounds to face the Netherlands on Saturday, airing at 10 am ET.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

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