Postpublished at 20:05 BST
Belgium 0-0 Iran
Pooria Jafereh
BBC Persian
Image source, Getty ImagesSame stadium, same fans, and a similar response.
Just like in Iran’s opening match against New Zealand here in Los Angeles, large sections of the crowd booed during the playing of the national anthem before the game against Belgium. Maybe not as loud as the first match but still the majority.
But once the match got under way, the atmosphere changed. Many of those same fans began cheering for the Iranian team. It appears that, regardless of their political views, many Iranian supporters here have chosen to draw a distinction between the Islamic Republic and the national football team, opposing one while still backing the other.
