Parviz Boroumand: The football goalkeeper and his wife at a party

Both men were released just hours before Iran’s 1-0 win over USA at the World Cup and were eliminated from the tournament in Qatar. According to The Associated Press, the Iranian authorities gave no explanation for the release. Ghafouri, who still plays for a club in the country, has been an outspoken critic of the regime throughout his career, opposing a ban on women attending men’s matches in Iran.