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The Iranian public is reportedly unhappy with the nation's potential plan to hand foreign footballers, including Cristiano Ronaldo, an unrestricted SIM card for seamless internet access.
Ronaldo's Al-Nassr face Iranian outfit Persepolis in the AFC Champions League group-stage opener on September 19. The highly anticipated game will held at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, the country's capital city.
According to Al Jazeera (h/t Daily Sabah), Reza Darvish, the president of Persepolis FC, announced the plan on state television to provide unfettered internet access to visiting athletes. That's in contrast to the treatment being meted out to Iran's civilians.
Most major foreign websites, including WhatsApp and Instagram, have been banned by the government in recent months to limit the public's internet access. This action can be traced back to 22-year-old Mahsa Amini's death in police custody in September 2022, which ignited nation-wide protests.
The country's response was to limit internet access as they expressed their concerns about foreign digital interference beyond local control. Since then, the public has had to use VPNs to circumvent the ban and stay connected with the world.
Amidst that, the potential provision of unrestricted internet access to visiting athletes through Irancell SIM cards has made the general public feel insulted and deeply discriminated against as citizens.
Al-Nassr's visit to Iran is expected to bring further spotlight on this disparity. Ronaldo is by far the most famous footballer in their ranks but is not their only superstar.
Senegal's Sadio Mane, Portuguese-Brazilian winger Otavio, Spanish-French centre-back Aymeric Laporte, French-Ivorian midfielder Seko Fofana and Croatia's Marcelo Brozovic have also helped extend the Saudi club's fanbase throughout the globe.
The eyes of football fans around the world will be on the Azadi Stadium on September 19, as it could mark Cristiano Ronaldo's debut in Asia's most popular continental club competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo will hope to lead Al-Nassr to maiden AFC Champions League title
In 1995, Al-Nassr reached their first and to date only AFC Champions League final with just a fraction of the star power and financial backing they have now.
Seongnam FC prevailed in extra time, scoring the golden goal in the 110th minute to break Al-Nassr's hearts. Twenty-eight years later, the Saudi giants enter the competition as one of the heavy favorites, spearheaded by captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Their group comprises Iranian side Persepolis, Qatari club Al-Duhail and Tajik outfit Istiklol. Al-Nassr are expected to make it out of the group stage with the quality they have all over the pitch.
Cristiano Ronaldo's eyes will also be on the competition's Most Valuable Player award, which has only been won twice by a European player since its inception in the 1996-97 season.
