Tuesday, June 16th 2026 - 08:24 UTC
Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran
Iran began their World Cup campaign in Los Angeles on Monday with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand, before a crowd that mixed fans cheering the team and Iranian Americans waving symbols of protest against the government in Tehran. The match was played barely 24 hours after the announcement of a preliminary agreement to end the war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran in February.
At Los Angeles Stadium, in Inglewood, New Zealand twice took the lead through a brace from Elijah Just, but Iran equalized on both occasions, with goals from Ramin Rezaeian and Mehdi Mohebbi. The squad had arrived in the United States on Sunday from its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, where it had moved from Arizona in recent weeks.
Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran —many of its members fled after the 1979 Islamic Revolution— and several fans said they felt torn between excitement at seeing the team at the World Cup, anger at the crackdown in Tehran and concern over Washington's bombing campaign. Although most backed the side, known as Team Melli, many displayed the pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flag, which predates 1979 and is now a symbol of protest; some booed the anthem or cheered New Zealand. Outside the stadium, between 300 and 500 people demonstrated with signs against the Iranian government and banners of the activist Reza Pahlavi.
