The United States on Tuesday defeated Iran in the World Cup, 1-0, knocking the Islamic Republic out of the tournament and advancing to the knockout stage.
The contest between the two nations, who severed ties more than 40 years ago, was held with increased security to prevent a flare-up over the unrest that has gripped Iran since the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, reported the Reuters news agency.
In a show of solidarity with protesters in Iran ahead of the match, the US Soccer Federation temporarily displayed Iran's national flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic, leading Tehran to complain to FIFA.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking in Romania, played down any link between the match and political tensions and said he hoped the game would "speak for itself", adding that he would be watching and cheering on his country.
The Iranian national team last week refused to sing along with their national anthem before their first World Cup game. They did participate in the national anthem in their second World Cup match against Wales.
Iranian authorities last week arrested former international soccer player Voria Ghafouri, who is Kurdish and had spoken out in support of the protests. He was released on bail on Saturday.
The US has criticized Iran over the crackdown on protests and has sanctioned Iranian officials over the crackdown.