Dramatic escape from Iran: Football pro speaks out

Haitian national football player Duckens Nazon says he fled the attacks on Iran in a dramatic manner.

March 05, 2026

From: dpa

The 31-year-old, who plays for the Iranian club Esteghlal FC, told French broadcaster RMC that he had already been on a plane to Istanbul last weekend. "We had to leave the plane in an emergency and were told that the airspace was closed because the bombings had begun," he said.

He and his teammate, former Barça star Munir El Haddadi, took a taxi to the center of Tehran. "And then we saw a bomb attack right next to us on the street," said Nazon, who was born in France. "The rocket had just exploded not far away, but I thought to myself that there might not be another one in the next minute."

Nazon: Very tired and exhausted

The striker finally arrived at the Azerbaijani border in a minibus early Sunday morning, where he had to wait longer before being allowed to leave. After several days, he made it to France. "I'm okay, but I'm very tired and exhausted from this turbulent journey," said Nazon. "I don't even know what to think right now. I'm just happy to be safe and sound."

Duckens Nazon fled Iran. © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / DAVID JENSEN

Nazon has scored 44 goals in 74 international appearances for Haiti. He wants to compete with the team at the World Cup this summer in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Keywords Soccer Escape Iran Iran War