The U.S. national men's soccer team scored a thrilling 1-0 victory over Iran in the team's final group-stage match of the World Cup on Tuesday, earning advancement to the knockout stage in the process.
Where the USMNT experienced the thrill of victory, Iran suffered the agony of defeat. And the Iranian team's early exit from the World Cup understandably left its players devastated. In an example of world-class empathy, several members of the USMNT consoled their opponents after the final whistle blew.
The most visible example of that came when defender Antonee Robinson was seen consoling Iran defender Ramin Rezaeian. The two embraced on the pitch after having battled for 100 minutes of play:
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Elsewhere, Josh Sargent and DeAndre Yedlin of the U.S. were seen speaking with Iran defender Saeid Ezatolahi, who was crying as he sat on the ground:
USMNT forward Timothy Weah later joined his teammates in consoling Ezatolahi, pulling him to his feet and speaking into his ear. He later spoke as to why he felt the need to do that:
"I think it's more than just football," Weah told Fox Sports. "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 also posted on Instagram a message to the Iranian team, expressing his admiration and love for the group:
Substitute Brenden Aaronson also consoled Ezatolahi, saying it was "just a human thing" to want to console him.
"I could feel the emotion from him on the ground," Aaronson said, via Fox Sports. "It's tough, it’s a tough moment for a lot of things. You put your heart and soul and I think he had a great game too, and a great tournament from Iran. It's hard to see that from a player. All you want to do is go and console them and tell them that everything is going to be OK. It's just a human thing."
Weah and teammates' consolation of the Iranian team comes amid controversy between the Islamic Republic of Iran and United States Soccer Federation, after the latter posted altered images of Iran's flag on social media. The images removed the Islamic Republic emblem from the flag, a show of support for nationwide protests against Iran's theocratic rule.
The World Cup stage has been one of conflict for the Iranian team, and not just on the field of play. While the United States emerged victorious, there were no combatants on the field once the match was over.