- At the World Cup opener against England, players on Iran’s national soccer team refused to sing their national anthem in apparent protest of the theocratic government’s violent crackdown on widespread protests.
- The players stood defiantly silent and stone-faced with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
- Since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September, who died in police custody after violating Iran’s strict dress code laws, the country has been gripped by nationwide protests.