The People’s Champion: The Football Icon Who Sacrificed Everything to Defy a Regime

What sets Karimi apart is the consistency and depth of his defiance, which predates the recent waves of unrest. As early as 2009, during the Green Movement, he famously wore a green wristband during a World Cup qualifier against South Korea to show solidarity with protesters. This was not a calculated PR move but a visceral reaction to the injustices he saw at home. In a country where the state effectively owns professional sports, such a gesture was an act of extreme bravery. It signaled to the Iranian public that their "Magician" was watching, that he cared, and that he was willing to use his international fame as a shield for those facing the regime's batons.