Sean O'Connor

People either bring them in or sneak them in.

And then the third element was probably Americans supporting pro-Israel and that sort of cohort as well.

So there was a lot going on, but no trouble reported from...

what I've seen.

But once you get in there, and we talked about the anthems, you're trying to gauge mood for it, and it was very tricky because the press box is totally soundproofed.

But yeah, there was the Sun and Lion flags being held up all across the stadium.

It was a little bit tense

pre-kickoff and then with the anthems.

But then once the football got underway, from what I saw, there was kind of a sense that they kind of put everything to one side for a moment and just kind of supported the players just for the time being.

It just feels like that stuff from Infantino is just all for show.

It's just totally for show.

Sorry, you can't go into the Iranian dressing room and give that sort of pep talk when days before at the pre-tournament press conference, and I was at that in the Azteca, at the end of it, he finishes with, I'd like to thank Donald Trump.

I have a great relationship with him.

It wouldn't have been possible to make this tournament without him.

And then, on the other hand, I know there's a peace deal that he says is already signed.

And just on the other hand, you have the current conflict and the team is being treated as they are.

Like, it's remarkable just seeing things behind the scenes here that, like, possibly on the FIFA feed, when you look at the Iran press conference, it starts when the manager starts talking.

But I was there at the Iran pre-match press conference and...

the FIFA delegate begins it by I just want to let the media know that we'll only be taking questions about the football about the game and it's just shameless like remarkable stuff and and of course like needless to say that there was only one or two questions on the actual football and the rest was on the the horrendous treatment so far it's it's just astonishing that

Like, just from a personal point of view, working here at a World Cup game, at Iran, and you should be reporting on the football.