Shortly before Iran's World Cup opener against New Zealand on Monday, several flags and protest banners could be seen around the stadium in Los Angeles.
"The football team of the terrorist Islamic Republic doesn't represent the people of Iran," one banner said.
Many people waved old Iranian flags from before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The atmosphere, however, was peaceful, a dpa reporter observed.
"I'm happy to support the people of Iran here, but I don't support the regime," one fan told dpa.
Ahead of kick-off, the Iranian anthem was greeted by audible boos within the stadium.
There was huge uncertainty over whether Iran would even compete at the World Cup given the armed conflict with co-hosts United States and Israel.
They moved their World Cup camp from Arizona to Mexico to avoid visa issues, but 11 officials were still denied US visas to cross the border and attend the team's matches.
