(Photo : GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)
This year's tournament is overshadowed at first by political tensions caused by various human rights violations in Ukraine, Iran, and Qatar.
A protester stormed onto the field during a World Cup game between Portugal and Uruguay, wearing a shirt with a message and waving a rainbow flag.
The man was carrying a rainbow flag and was dressed in a blue T-shirt with a Superman logo on it that said "SAVE UKRAINE" on the front and "RESPECT FOR IRANIAN WOMAN" on the back, according to CBS News.
At some point in the second half, the demonstrator made his way onto the field but was quickly escorted off by security. Though, Qatari police did not mention if the individual would be charged or arrested.
There have been several previous protests against the host country, Qatar, which has come under fire for its human rights record and the treatment of the migrant workers who built the stadiums for the World Cup 2022.
Seven European team captains in the FIFA World Cup 2022 pledged to support the "One Love" campaign during the first week of the tournament by donning armbands decorated with rainbow hearts in protest of anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice.
Since players are automatically dismissed after receiving two yellow cards in a single game and must miss the team's next game after receiving two yellow cards in any two games up until the quarterfinals, clubs backed down when FIFA declared that anyone wearing the band would earn a yellow card.
Political Tensions in The World Cup
According to a Premium Times story, political tensions threatened to overshadow the tournament, prompting FIFA to issue a letter to all 32 teams participating in a total of 64 matches.
FIFA also urged the participating athletes to keep their attention on the football and not the protests that had been planned over the human rights record of the Qatari government, LGBTQ+ rights in particular, and the abuse of 30,000 migrant workers tasked to build the infrastructure for the World Cup 2022.
The Iranian authorities have responded violently to rallies over Amini's killing. More than 400 people died and almost 18,000 others were detained, an organization monitoring the unrest called Human Rights Activists in Iran reports, as the government strives to crush the most significant threat to its system of clerical authority in years.
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UN To Address Iran Human Rights Abuses
The United Nations decided last week to open an investigation into possible human rights abuses by the government, with a particular focus on violence against women and children.
Prominent Iranian personalities, including several athletes, have spoken out in favor of the demonstrators. Also, Iranian supporters at the World Cup have used the event as a platform to call attention to the protests and the government's response, as per Al Jazeera.
During Iran's national team's first game against England, their supporters chanted: "Zan, Zindagi, Azadi," which means "Women, Life, Freedom," and the name of Mahsa Amini.
When Iran's national song was performed, the Iranian players remained silent as a form of protest, however, they did not follow suit in their FIFA World Cup 2022 next game against Wales.
In a news conference before the competition began, captain Ehsan Hajsafi expressed sympathy to all families in Iran experiencing sorrow on behalf of the national team.
An Iranian-Kurdish footballer named Voria Ghafouri, who once played for the national team, was recently detained for promoting "propaganda" when he publicly expressed support for the demonstrators. He also sent a message of support to the Kurdish populations in Iran, who have reportedly been the target of particularly harsh crackdowns by the regime.
State media in Iran reported that Ghafouri was granted bail and freed from prison.
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