Hundreds of anti-regime protesters gathered outside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, asserting that the Iranian national football team represents the Islamic Republic's government rather than the Iranian people. The demonstration occurred prior to Iran's opening match of the 2026 World Cup against New Zealand on Monday.
Waving the flag used in Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, demonstrators chanted slogans denouncing the national squad, which they claim is a propaganda instrument for Tehran. "This team is not the Iranian people's team, it's the regime's team," stated Ava Amin, a philosophy student, who carried a banner advocating for "regime change." She added, "When the people get murdered, they ignore it and stay silent."
The match proceeded under heightened security measures, with a significant segment of the Iranian-American community in Los Angeles expressing their opposition to the current regime. Los Angeles, often referred to as "Tehrangeles," hosts the largest Iranian diaspora outside of Iran, comprising many who fled the revolution or their descendants. These individuals aim to leverage the World Cup's global platform to draw attention to the human rights abuses perpetrated by the clerics in power for the past 47 years.
Some protesters displayed collages featuring portraits of Iranians killed during the violent crackdown on anti-regime demonstrations in January, an event that reportedly claimed thousands of lives according to numerous non-governmental organizations. "We lost so many people in January," Amin commented. "When people ask for freedom in Iran, they get killed, so we have to be here. We're here to be their voice and raise our flag."
Despite FIFA regulations prohibiting political symbols and threats from Tehran officials to halt matches if the pre-revolution flag is displayed, many protesters intended to conceal these symbols to bring them inside the stadium. Conversely, some Iranian-Americans attending the match voiced a preference for keeping politics separate from sports. "It is sport! It is not something political," remarked Farideh Mansoor. "They can go through the street and talk and do whatever they want. But here is not the place." She emphasized support for the players, stating, "The players 'did everything to get here. That's why we have to support them."
The controversy surrounding the Iranian team's participation is compounded by broader geopolitical tensions. Hostilities between the US and Iran, including recent attacks and disruptions to oil supplies, have cast a shadow over the tournament. An initial plan for Iran's training camp in Arizona was relocated to Tijuana, Mexico, just before the event. All of Iran's group stage matches are scheduled to take place in the United States.
