Shaimaa Khalil
BBC North America correspondent in Los Angeles

Image source, Getty Images

When I was outside the sentiment was clear in terms of the anti-regime chants, the anti-team chants.

Many people were saying we cannot separate the team from the regime. They don't represent us, they represent the Islamic Republic. And those are a very specific group of people, those who are anti the Islamic republic, mainly monarchists. And they were there because they wanted to carry the pre-revolution flag, the lion and sun flag.

They were protesting because Fifa had banned it. But they were also there to make sure their voices were heard - that they were not there to support the team.

Image source, Getty Images

Then it gets more nuanced as it gets closer to the stadium, you see people going in, and you ask them 'how do you feel about that?'

Then it starts to get more conflicted. One woman told me, 'I'm here for my dad, he died in 2020 and he loves the Iranian national team and loves football. I'm trying to separate them. I'm really torn. I want to be there to honour my dad, because I love the game, and I love Iran. I don't like the government and I'm trying to separate them.'

Outside, you hear 'the mullahs' team is not my team, regime change in Iran' and then the Iranian team score and there's a raucous cheer, and you have republic flag and monarchist flags flying, and they're cheering for the team.

That whole match represents what this team is up against. I don't remember a team coming into a World Cup carrying so much political baggage. And at every stage of the match you could feel that baggage inside and outside the stadium.

Image source, Getty Images

The scenes outside Los Angeles Stadium before Iran's World Cup opener against New Zealand were "more nuanced" than those reflected by those images from Tehran, writes BBC's North America correspondent Shaimaa Khalil...

Iran twice battled back from behind to draw with New Zealand.

Here's how fans enjoyed the game in the Iranian capital of Tehran last night.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

The four countries in Group G are also all square, with Belgium's fightback against Egypt followed by Iran's battling display against New Zealand in their 2-2 draw.

That ensured there were four draws in a single day at the World Cup for the first time in 68 years.

The last time there were four draws was on 15 June in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

Image source, Gett

In a complete contrast to Emam Ashour's opening goal for Egypt, Belgium's leveler was an own goal.

The introduction of Romelu Lukaku in the second-half paid off, as just 22 seconds after coming off the bench the ball was in the back of the net.

It won't be in the strikers top 10 goals of all-time, but his presence alone spooked Egypt right-back Mohamed Hany into an error.

Egypt's Emam Ashour scored his first-ever World Cup goal in their Group G fixture against Belgium on Monday.

It was a fantastic long-range strike ... feast your eyes on this!

Uruguay's fightback against Saudi Arabia ensured that honours remained even in Group H after the opening round of matches, following on from Spain's shock draw with Cape Verde..

Remaining matches in the group:

Sunday, 21 June

• Spain v Saudi Arabia (17:00 BST)
• Uruguay v Cape Verde (23:00 BST)

Saturday, 27 June

• Cape Verde v Saudi Arabia (01:00 BST)
• Uruguay v Spain (01:00 BST)

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport in New York

Image source, Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo. Karim Benzema. Neymar. Sadio Mane.

The list of world-class talents who have chosen to play in the Saudi Pro League has risen over the years.

But could the presence of these multiple Champions League and Ballon d'Or winners be finally benefiting the nation that has been selected to host the 2034 World Cup?

Over the years the Saudi Arabia national team has struggled on the world stage.

At the 2002 World Cup they suffered a humiliating 8-0 defeat against Germany in their first group game in Japan. They exited the tournament without a point - or a goal.

However, the performance of the national team has steadily improved since the Saudi Pro League started throwing money at attracting big names.

Are the days of 8-0 thumpings for Saudi Arabia on the world stage a thing of the past?

Read more here

Chris McKenna
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Darwin Nunez can probably count himself lucky that he started this Wold Cup game given he has barely played football since February.

The former Liverpool striker's move to the country he was playing against here has turned sour after he was omitted from Al-Hilal's Saudi Pro-League squad following the arrival of Karim Benzema midway through the season.

The 26-year-old had scored nine goals in 24 appearances but his future is now in doubt and the lack of game time saw him dropped to the bench for Uruguay's March friendlies against England and Algeria.

Yet it should be a concern for the forward at how much better Uruguay looked after the break when he was withdrawn, although he would have liked more service having recorded just eight touches, his lowest tally in a start for his national team.

The England lads, meanwhile, didn't have too much trouble taking direction for their World Cup portraits.

A handful of the best went viral as fans were entertained by Dan Burn's ponderous looks and Declan Rice's sunburn.

Which one is your favourite?

Image source, BBC Sp

Elizabeth Hudson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

One thing about Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa is that he is definitely his own man.

Whether it is his nickname of 'El Loco' (The Crazy One), his obsessive attention to detail or sitting on an ice box during matches, the former Leeds manager is well known as a maverick.

And the 70-year-old seems to have kept up his reputation in his official Fifa portrait for the World Cup.

Unlike most players and managers who play up to the camera and enjoy their moment in the spotlight, Bielsa stared stonily downwards rather than straight into the lens looking like he would rather be at the training ground or analysing yet another match.

"I don't have to give any explanation, the picture was taken the way it was taken," he said.

"I'm not a model."

Read more here

Image source, Getty Images

Saudi Arabia took a massive gamble by installing a new head coach just 59 days before their opening game of the World Cup against Uruguay.

Herve Renard, the new Tunisia boss, who masterminded their famous win over Argentina four years ago in Qatar, was sacked and Greek coach Georgios Donis brought in as his replacement.

Against Uruguay, they were closing in on a fine win until Maxi Araujo equalised in the 80th minute.

It's fair to say that every manager is under pressure at this World Cup...some more than others.

Uruguay boss Marcelo Bielsa had come under criticism even before their opening draw with Saudi Arabia, who had themselves appointed a new head coach in the build-up to the tournament...

Sabri Lamouchi's departure means he is the first manager in World Cup history to be sacked after just one game, but he's not the first to be dismissed during the tournament.

The 1998 World Cup saw not one, but three sackings.

Saudi Arabia sacked Carlos Alberto Parreira after two matches, while Tunisia sacked Henryk Kasperczak following a poor start that left them winless in their opening two games.

South Korea also dismissed Cha Bum‑Kun after defeats in their first two fixtures.

Image source, Getty

Image source, Getty Images

Football managers obviously stand and fall by their results.

Sometimes it takes a lot of patience from those above them, when results do not go their way.

Sound the manager sacking klaxon...no we can't even escape it during a World Cup!

Tunisia have sacked head coach Sabri Lamouchi following the side's 5-1 defeat in their opening World Cup fixture against Sweden on Monday.

Reports after that loss suggested Lamouchi had been immediately sacked but sources told BBC Sport that the 54-year-old took training later on Monday.

However, the Tunisian Football Association has now confirmed that the Frenchman's contract has been terminated by "mutual agreement".

Former Morocco and Saudi Arabia manager Herve Renard has been appointed head coach of the side until the end of the tournament.

Read more on Lamouchi's sacking here

Guillem Balague
Spanish football journalist on Football Daily

Image source, Getty Images

You've got a team that defends very deep on the edge of the box with nine men, what do you do?

Width. You put on the wingers.

We've got four wingers, great, three of them are injured or coming out of injury because the idea of the first two games against Cape Verde and Saudi is to get them ready for the bigger games, for the next stage.

So we did not use one of our wingers, Yeremy Pino. The substitutions came quite late, based on the fact that he [Spain manager Luis de la Fuente] wanted Lamine Yamal for as much as he can play, Nico Williams and Mikel Merino for another 20.

He was waiting and waiting and waiting - by which time, the nerves of the situation made playing football even harder. Cape Verde were getting bigger and bigger, taller and taller, faster and faster.

Well it's a point of view Peter, but maybe get your tin hat ready for the response from our readers.

One thing that we would say, is that Cape Verde were potentially not the only team playing risk-averse football...