In recent years, we have witnessed an ever-expanding phenomenon, the main of which is the expression of opinion in various areas of life, politics, racism, exclusion of women, homophobia, and more, in sports games and events in general and football in particular.
In fact, the phenomenon has existed for many years.
The first documented case was probably the protest of Matthias Sindelar, a player on the Austrian national team in the 1930s, who refused to participate in the propaganda celebration during his team's match against the German national team, a game in which the parties "celebrated" the annexation of Austria (the Anschluss).
Contrary to the summaries, Sindelar scored two game-winning goals for Austria, and about a year later paid for it with his life, when he was eliminated by the Nazis.
Even in this century, some notable protests in sports are remembered.
It started with fan protests around the world about turning football into a "business" and the increase in ticket prices, carrying flags and signs with a political character in stadiums, using the pride flags in the stands, in the captain's ribbons and as a replacement for the foundation flags on the field.
There were also the famous goal celebration by the players of the Swiss national team of Albanian origin against Serbia, the kneeling at the beginning of games as a protest against racism, the extensive Black Lives Matter protest in American sports, the protest of the US women's team and the big star Megan Rafinha, and many other good cases (depending on which party you are).
Along the way we saw how much power sports and football in particular have on public opinion and even on policy makers.
Also in creating positive (or negative) role models, and imparting examples of the importance of perseverance, values, education, respect, teamwork and more, among children and teenagers.
But it seems that due to the 2022 World Cup being played these days in Qatar, the issue has reached a boiling point.
It began with major protests against FIFA, soccer's world governing body, over the unjustified selection of Qatar to host the World Cup, and claims, apparently justified, that the Gulf princess bribed organization officials to win the honor.
Later on, the football fans discovered that for the first time the tournament will be played in the winter and not in the summer, due to the intense heat prevailing in the country, and this sparked just as many disputes and claims, also by the players and the clubs.
Before the start of the tournament, news began to spread about thousands of victims, foreign workers without minimum rights, who were killed during the work on the construction of the stadiums and infrastructure for the World Cup, which earned the tournament the unflattering name "Bloody World Cup".
Many players and fans around the world called for a boycott of the World Cup, and national teams were even called by their fans not to participate in it.
These voices got louder when the conditions of the foreign workers in Qatar were revealed, and moreover the attitude towards the LGBT community in the country, which prohibits same-sex relationships and the punishment for this can reach up to the death sentence.
In the stand of many from the world of football against these positions, the younger generation, the children and youth football fans, learned a lesson about taking a stand and the power that football has to protest and sometimes even change and eradicate injustices.
Iranian players are silent during the singing of the national anthem, photo: Getty Images
After the England national team withdrew at the last minute from its intention to take the field with an armband in the colors of the pride flag, thus disappointing many in the world from among the LGBT community and its supporters, an amazing moment came, which may be remembered as the greatest moment of the current tournament - and it is not at all related to football or even to Qatar:
The players of the Iranian national team, great patriots who are proud of their country and the people from which they came, decided not to sing the words of their national anthem that was played before the start of the game against England, as an act of identification with the large protest that has been taking place in Iran in recent months, known as the "Hijab Protest".
In doing so, in front of hundreds of millions of viewers around the world, when, just like the Austrian Matthias Sindelar, they put their own lives in danger, the Iranians demonstrated incredible solidarity with their people and with the desire for freedom and equality in their homeland.
The eyes of many Iranians in the stadium were teary with excitement in those moments, and it seems that hundreds of millions of Iranians drew inspiration and motivation from the act to continue the protest, until its goals are achieved.
We are all now witnessing how much power one small moment has.
How much power does football have?
We at the "Shaar Shevion" association in Israel do exactly that.
and utilize the great power that sports and football in particular have - as a tool.
We establish soccer teams at the highest level, also to develop the children who participate professionally, but mainly to bring them to participate in an educational, positive and empowering framework after school hours.
For some of them we give, along with training and sports perseverance, additional tortures.
We also provide educational assistance to children in the periphery, prevent dropouts, and bring success.
To the groups of girls we provide gender empowerment, to the groups of children on the autistic continuum we provide emotional reinforcement.
And with everyone, we are all working on the added value in football - beyond the competition, with the understanding that just like in the match between Iran and England, football is only the means to get to the really important things.
*The writer is the director of the "Sha'ar Shvyon" association, which uses sports as a tool to reduce disparities
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