Iran's football team has arrived in the US for the World Cup, landing in Los Angeles just as a deal was announced to halt hostilities between Iran and the US.
The deal to end the fighting between the US and Iran came just a day before the Iranian team’s opening World Cup match against New Zealand in Los Angeles, easing fears of further escalation but doing little to remove the controversy surrounding the team.
Iran's striker Mehdi Taremi told the BBC the ongoing tension has overshadowed the tournament from the moment the squad arrived.
Preparations have also been disrupted.
The team faced visa problems and was forced to move its World Cup base camp to Mexico.
When Iran takes to the pitch in LA, many in the city's large Iranian community won't be there to watch.
Some are planning protests against Fifa's ban on the pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag, while others see the team as representing a regime they want gone.
The players insist they're here to unite Iranians and focus on football.
But for this squad, politics has been impossible to escape.
