INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Iranian Americans are divided over Iran’s appearance in the World Cup, with some preparing to attend Monday’s match while others intend to demonstrate outside the stadium where the team is set to play.
A protest is scheduled outside the venue near Los Angeles, which is home to the largest Iranian population outside Iran. Many Iranian Americans in Southern California settled there after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and a well-known stretch of restaurants, stores and markets roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the stadium has long been nicknamed “Tehrangeles.”
Those joining the rally say they will wear lion-and-sun shirts and carry Iran’s pre-revolution flag to denounce Tehran’s deadly crackdown on dissent in January.
Ali Javahery, a 59-year-old consultant born in Iran who now lives in Orange County, said he plans to protest outside Iran’s opening game against New Zealand rather than watch from the stands. While he is a passionate soccer fan, he said the sport cannot be separated from politics and believes members of the national team face pressure to align themselves with the Iranian government’s views.
“This is not ‘Team Melli,’” Javahery said, referring to the Persian name for the national team. “This is Team Islamic Republic.”
Iran’s place in the tournament has been overshadowed by tensions tied to the country’s conflict with U.S. and Israeli forces. The team shifted its training camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Mexico, and several top Iranian soccer officials reportedly had not received visas to enter the United States. Across the Iranian diaspora, many are wrestling with how to support the Iranian people — but not the government — while still embracing the game they love.
“We play for every Iranian, be it in the diaspora or in Iran. People have different opinions, but we are here to unite people and we will try to bring joy to all Iranians wherever they live,” team captain Mehdi Taremi said at a press conference Sunday. “We are here to bring joy to Iranian people. We do not get involved in politics. We are here to play football.”
Reza Garajedaghi, 57, said he will watch the game with his 96-year-old father in San Diego. He said he didn’t buy tickets for the game, partly because of the sky-high pricing. But he said he supports the team, politics aside, while respecting the wide range of views shared by Iranians in the diaspora.
“I’m a football die-hard, and the boys, they’re representing all Persians, Iranians around the world,” said Garajedaghi, who left Iran when he was 10 years old. “To me, it has nothing to do with whatever government they have in Iran.”
Watch parties are planned to cheer on the team in Southern California, and when Iran was assigned last year to play in LA, many bought tickets. But in recent months some said they have sold off their tickets in anger, following January’s brutal repression.
Some Iranian American soccer fans have also said the team is currently tied up in politics. In the past, Iranian athletes have faced serious consequences for speaking out. In 2022, a prominent former member of the national team was arrested for allegedly protesting against the country’s leadership, and star striker Sardar Azmoun wasn’t selected for the World Cup squad this year, reportedly because of a social media post that angered authorities.
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei called Azmoun an “excellent player” and said he wished he were with the team.
“I am just happy that they are coming to watch us and I hope that they will pray for us and I hope that they will encourage us,” Ghalenoei said Sunday when asked about the sizable diaspora. He added that he hoped the team would pay back that loyalty by playing a good game.
Some Iranian Americans are also upset about FIFA’s rule barring political flags from being flown. They want to fly the pre-revolution lion-and-sun flag, which is not the official flag of Iran. The Iranian American Institute for Voices for Liberty said it filed a lawsuit last week in California to challenge FIFA’s flag rule.
During Friday’s opening ceremony in Los Angeles, members of the mostly American crowd booed when Iran’s flag was brought onto the field.
Late Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. had reached a deal with Iran to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. The war launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28 has rattled the region and virtually shut down oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. Details of the deal, expected to be signed Friday, weren’t available.
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AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham contributed to this report.
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