To 27-year-old Mariam, the World Cup match ticket was a precious gift. A sports fanatic, she traveled to the World Cup in Qatar from Tehran to catch IranB次元官网网址檚 opening game Monday against England, her first live soccer match.

Women are banned from attending menB次元官网网址檚 matches in Iran.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e never attended a football match in my life so I had to take this chance,B次元官网网址� said Mariam, a student of international relations who like other Iranian women at the match declined to give her last name for fear of government reprisals.

Iran is competing in the World Cup as a is roiling the country. Security forces have violently cracked down on demonstrations, killing at least 419 people, according Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that has been monitoring the protests.

The unrest was spurred by the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the countryB次元官网网址檚 morality police. It first focused on the state-mandated hijab, or headscarf, for women, but has since morphed into one of the most serious threats to the Islamic Republic since the chaotic years following its founding.

B次元官网网址淎 big achievement for protesters would be to have the choice to wear the hijab,B次元官网网址� said Mariam. Her brown hair draped over her shoulders and ran long down her back. B次元官网网址淏ut after that, women will go for their right to be in stadiums.B次元官网网址�

In an effort to restrict large gatherings, Iran has closed all soccer matches to the public since the protests erupted. The reason for authoritiesB次元官网网址� fear became apparent as fans filtered into the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on Monday. Many Iran fans wore T-shirts or waving signs printed with the mantra of the uprising B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淲oman, Life, Freedom.B次元官网网址� Others wore T-shirts bearing the names of female protesters killed by Iranian security forces in recent weeks.

In the 22nd minute of the match - a reference to her age when she died - some fans chanted Mahsa AmniB次元官网网址檚 name, but the chant quickly faded out and was replaced by B次元官网网址淚ran.B次元官网网址�

The World Cup in Qatar, just a short flight across the Persian Gulf from Iran, has emerged as a rallying point for Iranian political mobilization. Protesters have even called on FIFA, soccerB次元官网网址檚 governing body, to prohibit Iran from competing in the tournament over restrictions on women in soccer stadiums and the governmentB次元官网网址檚 crackdown.

The question of whether to root for the national team has divided Iranians as the team becomes entangled in the countryB次元官网网址檚 combustible politics. Many now view support for the Iranian team as a betrayal of the young women and men who have risked their lives in the streets.

B次元官网网址淭he protest movement has overshadowed the football,B次元官网网址� said Kamran, a linguistics professor who lives in the verdant northern province of Mazandaran. B次元官网网址淚 want Iran to lose these three games.B次元官网网址�

Anusha, a 17-year-old whose Tehran high school has been rocked by protests, said the past few weeks of unrest had changed everything for her.

B次元官网网址淎 few months ago I would have said of course I want Iran to win against England and America,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淣ow, itB次元官网网址檚 strange. I really donB次元官网网址檛 care.B次元官网网址�

Others insist the national team, which includes players who have spoken out on social media in solidarity with the protests, is representative of the countryB次元官网网址檚 people and not its ruling Shiite clerics. The teamB次元官网网址檚 star forward, Sardar Azmoun, has been vocal about the protests online. Two former soccer stars have even been arrested for backing the movement. IranB次元官网网址檚 players didnB次元官网网址檛 sing along to their national anthem before the match against England.

B次元官网网址淎t the end of the day, I want the players to achieve their dreams,B次元官网网址� said Mariam. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not their fault our society is so polarized.B次元官网网址�

The Iranian government, for its part, has tried to encourage citizens to support their team against IranB次元官网网址檚 traditional enemies. Iran plays the United States on Nov. 29 B次元官网网址� a contentious showdown that last occurred at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Observers note that the players are likely facing government pressure not to side with the protests. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has urged his government to prepare for potential problems. Iran International, the Saudi-financed Farsi news channel that heavily covers the Iranian opposition, reported that Qatari authorities barred its reporters from attending the World Cup under Iranian pressure.

Already, Iranian athletes have drawn enormous scrutiny. When Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi competed in South Korea without wearing her countryB次元官网网址檚 mandatory headscarf, she became a lighting rod of the protest movement.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e waiting for them to show us theyB次元官网网址檙e supporting the people in Iran,B次元官网网址� Azi, a 30-year-old Iranian fan living in Ottawa, Canada, said of the national team. B次元官网网址淪ome kind of sign, by any way they can.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擨sabel Debre, The Associated Press