Pakistani actor Arslan Naseer has taken a jab at India, drawing a sharp contrast between Iran’s participation at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States (US) and India’s ongoing refusal to play bilateral cricket against Pakistan.
“4 maheenay se full on Jung! Phir bhi Iran ki Team USA mai FIFA World Cup khel rahi hai. Aur aik humarey parosi hain.. Saal pahley 6 jahaaz kya girra diye aaj tak chichorrpan hi khatam nahi ho raha [Four months of full-on war, and yet Iran’s team is playing the FIFA World Cup in the USA. And then there’s our neighbour, six aircraft were shot down a year ago and the petty behaviour still hasn’t stopped],” Naseer wrote on Instagram.
The reference to six aircraft points to the May 2025 military confrontation between the two countries, which started after India’s Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir.
In retaliation, Pakistan shot down six Indian fighter jets besides inflicting heavy military losses in cross-border strikes.
Naseer’s post mentioned Iran’s participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026 as it comes despite the recent hostilities between Washington and Tehran. While FIFA had confirmed Iran would play all three of its group-stage matches on US soil despite the clashes, Pakistan and India, by contrast, have not played bilateral cricket since 2012 and currently only face each other at ICC tournaments.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not permitted bilateral series with Pakistan, citing the political and diplomatic freeze between the two countries, while the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has repeatedly called for the resumption of bilateral cricket without success.
