On a political level , it was a powerful Middle East nation playing host to a people whose cause it supports . As a sporting contest , it was a one-way procession as Iran 's national football team warmed up for next week 's World Cup qualifier with a 7-0 thrashing of an under-strength Palestine side . Iran 's rulers support Palestine 's claims for statehood on the condition that Israel is dissolved -- a `` cancer cell '' that needs to be removed , according to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- and Wednesday 's friendly match in Tehran highlighted some of the difficulties the Palestinians face . The team traveled to Iran soon after Tehran hosted a five-day international conference in support of Palestine intifada -- or uprising -- attended by its Arab and other Islamic allies . They arrived at Azadi Stadium without any players who hold Israeli documents -- a significant chunk of the squad -- and predictably struggled to hold off an Iran side featuring some of Asian football 's biggest names . Having kept the match scoreless until first-half injury-time , a headed goal from Mohammad Ghazi opened the floodgates and six more followed after the interval . Karim Ansarifard , Javad Nekounam ( with a penalty ) , Javad Kazemian , Pejman Montazeri and Pejman Nouri made it 6-0 . Kazemian completed the rout at the end with another penalty after Palestine 's goalkeeper was sent off for a second booking . An American soccer star playing for Palestine . The match will not count in FIFA 's world rankings , as Iran coach Carlos Queiroz brought on a seventh substitute -- one more than is allowed for `` A '' internationals . But it was one more step for the Palestinians , who hosted their first competitive home match in March . The team lost in the second round of Asian qualifying matches for the 2012 Olympics , and also in the second round of regional qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup . Iran , by contrast , is top of Group E in the third round ahead of second-placed Bahrain 's visit to Tehran on Tuesday . `` The Palestinians have long used football to form an idea of a nation , '' Middle East football expert James Montague told CNN . `` FIFA are one of the few organizations to have recognized an entity called Palestine , and their mere existence is a chance to fly the flag abroad . `` The fact that the head of the FA is a man called Jibril Rajoub , Yasser Arafat 's national security adviser and one of the highest-ranked men in Fatah , tells you that they take the team -- and the power that football has to invoke national unity and foreign propaganda -- very seriously indeed . '' Montague , author of the book `` When Friday Comes : Football in the War Zone , '' said the friendly match gave Ahmadinejad a chance to show his support for Palestine 's cause . `` He has often used football for political ends , like before the 2006 World Cup when he used the team 's popularity to boost his dwindling support , '' Montague said . `` But it can backfire . The terraces in Iran have also become a crucible for opposition to unpopular policies in a country with very few outlets for dissent . `` Palestine are on the up . After years of a debilitating Israeli occupation , they now have a pro league , a women 's team and a national squad that came close to qualifying for the group stage of Asian qualification for the 2014 World Cup . `` Iran 's golden generation has passed , but under Carlos Queiroz they hope to return to the glory days when they made it to France '98 and famously put Team USA to the sword . ''
Palestine beaten 7-0 by Iran in friendly match in Tehran on Wednesday . Iran 's rulers have used match to further political cause , says expert . Palestine team traveled without players holding Israeli documents . Match was a warm-up for Iran 's upcoming World Cup qualifier against Bahrain .