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Subscriptions help us deliver original coverage of the region's most important issues.The story: Divisions among Iranians leading up to the FIFA World Cup have come to the fore following Iran's 6-2 loss to England. Supporters of the anti-government protests in Iran have for weeks charged that the national team does not represent the country but rather the ruling establishment. As a result, some Iranians have been celebrating the loss. State media have reacted by denouncing “traitors at home and abroad.” It has also sought to highlight the English team's strength after days of talking up Iran's potential for causing an upset.
The coverage: Iran suffered a historic 6-2 loss against England at its opening game at the World Cup in Qatar on Nov. 21.
National team players have been under public scrutiny for weeks in the lead-up to the competition for not expressing their support for anti-establishment protests in Iran.
State media in Iran, which had struck a patriotic and political tone ahead of the game, sought to explain away Iran's defeat. It also denounced the pressure on the national team by opposition supporters.
The context/analysis: Iran is grouped with England, Wales, and the United States in arguably the most politically charged group in the competition. When Iran beat the US the last time they played at the FIFA World Cup in 1998, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a statement congratulating the national team for defeating the "arrogant" Americans.
The Iranian establishment has been grappling with protests since the Sept. 16 death in the custody of the morality police of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian woman.
The future: The Iranian national team will take on Wales on Nov. 25 before facing off against the US on Nov. 29.