Japanese football legend Keisuke Honda has lost an advertising deal in the United States after voicing support for Iran's participation in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Honda revealed on Saturday that an advertisement from a US-based company had been put on hold after he posted on social media that he wants Iran to compete in the tournament cohosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada.
“I know it’s a very sensitive thing, but I personally want them to participate in the World Cup,” Honda wrote in a tweet on Thursday, a day after Iran’s sports minister said the country cannot take part in the World Cup.
The 39-year-old footballer, who represented Japan from 2008 to 2018 and scored 38 international goals, posted a follow-up tweet indicating that the advertisement had been shelved due to his earlier post.
“Apparently, this statement caused a US company to cancel an advertisement that was about to be finalised to coincide with the World Cup,” he wrote.
Iran's World Cup Participation in Doubt
Iran’s place at the 48-team tournament is in doubt due to the US-Israeli attacks that began on February 28, following which Tehran responded by launching waves of missiles and drones at Israel and US forces in the Middle East.
The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup will be held in the US, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with all of Iran’s group games scheduled at venues on the US West Coast.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that it would not be appropriate for Iran to participate in the World Cup, prompting a response from the Iranian national team’s Instagram account.
The account questioned whether the US president should be commenting on team participation and criticised Trump for failing to provide adequate security for Iran’s national football players.
Source: Al Jazeera
