Football, identity and nationalism: A sociological analysis of ‘Tractor’ fan culture

This article examines supporter practices surrounding Tractor Football Club among Azerbaijani Turks in Iran, focusing on ethnic identity, nationalism and social solidarity. Grounded in theories of nationalism and social movements, the study investigates how these practices intersect with collective representation, everyday nationalism and social integration in an authoritarian context. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with 35 supporters, the analysis shows that fandom commonly serves to sustain cultural belonging and identity, while a minority views it in primarily sporting terms. A gendered pattern is evident: uneven stadium access has led many women to sustain participation in domestic and digital spaces, semi-public and safer avenues for participation beyond the terraces. Overall, in Iran's authoritarian and multi-ethnic setting, football functions as an alternative social sphere in which identity and solidarity are expressed. Centring an under-examined socio-political context, the study offers a geographically and politically grounded contribution to the sociology of sport.