The Iranian men's national football team brought children's backpacks onto the pitch before a March 2026 friendly as a tribute to the victims of a strike that hit a school at the start of the Middle East war,

Several hundred Iranian Americans protested outside Iran's first World Cup match Monday, calling for change in Tehran and waving the pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flag, while thousands of fans poured into the stadium in the heart of the largest diaspora community to see the team play.

Relive all the action from Monday's World Cup matches, with features, news, video analysis and color from around the competition.

Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was delayed on the way to his first World Cup. He still made the best of his tournament debut. Earlier this month, it wasn’t clear whether Hussein would be able to