- Protest messages on T-shirts and flags at match against USA
- Feared ugly scenes at Al Thumama stadium fail to materialise
The propaganda war playing out in the background of Iran’s World Cup campaign continued on Tuesday night, but fears of ugly scenes at the Al Thumama stadium failed to materialise.
The players sang the national anthem, some through gritted teeth, to a backdrop of whistles from the stands. Supporters smuggled in personal protests, the words “women love freedom” printed on T-shirts hidden under T-shirts and scrawled in marker pen on their bodies.