WATCH: Players take protests to field at Fifa World Cup in Qatar
Players from England and Iran staged protests before their World Cup match.
England’s midfielder Declan Rice takes a knee at kickoff during the Qatar 2022 World Cup match against Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on 21 November 2022. Photo: Adrian DENNIS / AFP
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Protest overshadowed play at the first full day of matches at the Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
Monday’s first game saw England’s players taking a knee to protest discrimination in host country Qatar.
Iran’s team chose to stay silent during their country’s national anthem.
During the week, Iran’s captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh said that the players would decide “collectively” whether or not to sing the anthem as a sign of support for the victims of the harshly repressed protests in their country.
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