Nike will not provide cleats to the Iranian soccer team ahead of and during this month’s World Cup because of economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The move follows the Trump Administration’s decision to withdraw from the international nuclear deal made in 2015 and reimpose penalties on companies that do business with Iran, Nike told CNBC.
Some teams allow players to select their own cleats, including which brand, for competition. Some players, for example, may have sponsorship with Nike. Those deals, according to CNBC, will not be affected. Other teams are sponsored by a particular brand — the main players in the international soccer scene are Nike, Adidas and Puma — and require players to wear a certain shoe.
Adidas, a Germany-headquartered company, provides Iran’s uniforms, but said to CNBC it was not sponsoring the team, merely selling the kit at a steep discount.
“We are disappointed that Nike has boycotted Iran’s World Cup players by refusing to provide shoes to the Iranian national team,” Jamal Abdi, the vice president for policy of the National Iranian American Council, a nonprofit focused on Iranian-American relations, said in a statement. “We call on the U.S. Government to take immediate steps to address this shameful situation and that Nike actively seek a resolution. FIFA should also take necessary steps to address this issue and ensure that none of the teams in the World Cup are subject to double standards.
“Governments that drag politics into international sporting events, including Iran itself when it boycotts matches with Israel, face well-deserved admonishment. This situation is unfortunately no different. Events like the World Cup and the Olympics are meant to rise above disputes between nations and serve as an example of what unites us.”
Neither Nike nor the Iranian national team have commented publicly on the decision.
Iran is set to face Morocco in the first round of the World Cup on Saturday in St. Petersburg.
