A few days ago, an Iranian father captured the attention of the entire footballing world when a video of him helping his blind son follow a World Cup match went viral. Using a handmade cardboard tactics board, he guided his son's hands across a makeshift pitch, narrating every pass, every run, every moment of the action in real time.
The video moved millions of people. Then he did it again.
This time, it was not a Ronaldo goal or a Switzerland match. It was Iran's own. And somehow, watching a child feel his own country score — through his father's hands and his father's voice — hits differently.
In the video, the father is seen doing exactly what he has done before. His son's hands rest on the cardboard board as he walks him through the build-up, describing where the ball is, who has it, where they are going. And then the moment arrives. Iran score. The father tells his son. And the boy's reaction is everything.
It is the kind of moment that reminds you what sport actually is, underneath the television deals and the transfer fees and the group stage points tables.
Watch the video here:
