TEHRAN – Tractor defeated Persepolis in the Round of 32 of the 2025/26 Iran Hazfi Cup, but the night raised a deeper question: when insults replace excitement, what remains of the game we love?

Thursday night in Tabriz should have been remembered for football. Tractor and Persepolis faced each other in the Hazfi Cup, a classic rivalry under bright lights and full stands. After 120 tense minutes, the match ended 1–1, and Tractor finally won 8–7 on penalties. On paper, it was a dramatic and unforgettable cup tie.

But the football was not the loudest voice in the stadium.

From the first whistle to the final penalty, waves of insults rolled down from the stands. Tractor fans, driven by rivalry and anger, targeted Persepolis’ coaching staff and players with constant verbal abuse. Every missed pass, every protest to the referee, every moment of silence was filled with shouting. The noise did not stop with extra time; it lasted the full 120 minutes, drowning out the beauty of the game.

After the match, Persepolis director Afshin Peyrovani spoke with disappointment rather than defeat. He said this behavior was no longer limited to one city or one stadium. It had become a repeating scene across Iran.

The atmosphere was hectic, heavy, and joyless. Football, meant to unite fans in passion and celebration, was instead surrounded by hostility. The victory belonged to Tractor, but the night raised a deeper question: when insults replace excitement, what remains of the game we love?