A large estelada, the "starred" pro-independence Catalan flag, made it into the first match of the 2018 Russia Football World Cup. The first official minutes of the competition and, already, the first sign of Catalonia. The flag was clearly visible for the whole first half, then gone in the second.
The first match of the tournament, between the hosts and Saudi Arabia, saw the flag hanging behind Igor Akinfeev's Russian goal, clearly visible in many of the TV angles.
The first match, dominated by Russia against a harmless Saudi Arabia, was marked from a Spanish or Catalan perspective by the gesture in the stands, bringing the flag and the Catalan independence movement to international attention again.
Whilst clearly visible in the first half behind the Russian goal, it had disappeared by the time play restarted after half-time. Were they told to remove it or did they do so of their own volition? We don't know.
The reaction on social media
Social media didn't take long to react. As always, the reactions were a mixture of positive and negative.
Translation: First match of the World Cup, first 'estelada'.
You've got to be very stupid to go to see a Russia-Saudi Arabia [match] at the World Cup with an 'estelada' and put it so that everyone can see it.
An XXL 'estelada' at the World Cup. The world is watching us.
'Estelada' at the opening match of the World Cup.
Who was the anonymous hero who took the 'estelada' to Moscow's Luzhniki [stadium] for the opening match of the World Cup?
So that was the first appearance by an estelada this World Cup. Will it be the last?