The protests, which started in Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Emini after being detained, continued in the 2022 World Cup hosted by Qatar.
The fans who came to the International Caliph Stadium, where the Group B match between England and Iran will be played, were greeted by an Iranian group dancing in black clothes and local songs in front of the stadium.
While Iranian football players were a part of the protests by not singing the national anthem in the pre-match ceremony, some fans in the stands unfurled banners “Freedom for women’s lives”.
During the Iranian National Anthem, an intense whistling sound filled the stadium in the stands.
Iranian footballers also supported the protests before the World Cup. Sardar Azmoun, who played for the German team Bayer Leverkusen, posted on his social media account, “The biggest penalty is to be kicked out of the national team, but this is a small price to pay for even a single strand of Iranian women’s hair.” While he was showing his reaction with his sentence, he removed his post after a while.
Some football players also joined the protests by making their profile picture a black circle.