IRANIAN legend Ali Daei will boycott the World Cup – as coach Carlos Queiroz insisted his players DO have the right to protest.
But former Manchester United No 2 Queiroz did lose his temper when asked about Iran’s treatment of women.
Iran, England’s opening World Cup opponents in the Khalifa International Stadium next Monday at 1pm UK time, arrived in Doha 24 hours before Gareth Southgate’s men.
They walked into a desert storm, though, as ex-striker Daei, 53, who scored 109 international goals for “Team Melli”, revealed he had rejected a Fifa invitation to come to the tournament as a show of his support for anti-government protestors.
In an Instagram post, accompanied by a picture of a woman discarding her headscarf, Daei said: “I rejected the official invitation of FIFA and Qatar Football Federation to attend the World Cup with my wife and daughters.