Beyond the Pitch: Iran's 1968 Asian Cup Final Victory Was More Than a Game

The legacy of this match also extends to the broader history of Asian football. Israel's participation in the AFC was becoming increasingly fraught with political tensions, as many Arab and Muslim nations refused to play against them. This culminated in Israel's eventual expulsion from the AFC in 1974, a move that sent the country's football into a period of isolation until it was accepted into UEFA much later.