In this match, which became significant for the team, the Iranian female football players, unlike in the previous game against South Korea (where they lost 0:3 and refused to perform the anthem), sang the anthem again and gave a military salute. The ceremony took place at the stadium, where it was raining, and one of the most touching moments was when forward Shabnam Behesht shielded a child mascot standing in front of her from the bad weather with her hands.
However, despite the apparent calm on the field, the atmosphere around the match was tense. Outside the stadium, there was a protest by the Iranian diaspora, where participants chanted slogans in support of political figures such as Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump.
The reason for these protests was reports of large-scale military strikes on Iran, which, according to the protesters, resulted in the death of the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Although there is no official confirmation of this information yet, the situation continues to attract significant interest from the international community, and the actions of the female football players are seen as a forced step under pressure from the authorities.
