Images of Mahsa Amini and Amir Nasr Azadani on the Brazilian Women's National Football Team's Airplane

The airplane carrying the Brazilian Women's National Football Team for the 2023 Women's World Cup landed at Brisbane Airport in Australia on Wednesday, with images of Mahsa Amini and Amir Nasr Azadani emblazoned on its tail. According to The Guardian, this action by the Brazilian Women's National Team is considered a strong statement regarding human rights. Nationwide protests in Iran began last September following the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who was in the custody of the morality police, and continue to this day. These widespread protests quickly spread across various regions of Iran and led to increased resistance from the people against the regime's treatment of Iranian women. Amir Nasr Azadani, a former football player, was one of the protesters who was arrested by security forces during these protests and sentenced to 26 years in prison by the court. The body of the airplane features the message, 'No woman should be forced to cover her hair (mandatory hijab),' and continues, 'And no man should be hanged for saying this (protesting against mandatory hijab).' This action by the Brazilian Women's National Team comes at a time when FIFA has warned participating teams about political slogans or wearing armbands containing certain messages or symbols, such as in support of sexual and gender minorities, during the competitions. After consulting with teams, FIFA has designated eight special armbands with specific themes such as peace, gender equality, or the rejection of violence against women, which players are allowed to use. Given that the Brazilian Women's National Team has shown support for the nationwide protests in Iran by featuring images of Mahsa Amini and Amir Nasr Azadani and a message about Iran on their airplane, it remains unclear how FIFA will react to this action. The Brazilian national team arrived in Australia with the announcement from Marta, the star of the team, that this will be her last World Cup. Marta, 37, is Brazil's top scorer and one of the best female footballers in the world, participating in her sixth World Cup. Under the guidance of their Swedish coach Pia Sundhage, the Brazilian Women's National Team hopes to give Marta a grand farewell. Although winning the championship will be a difficult mission for Brazil, Marta can become the only football player in the world to score in six World Cups if she finds the net in Australia. Brazil is in Group F and will face Panama in their first match on July 24. The 2023 Women's World Cup will be jointly held in Australia and New Zealand starting July 20.