While tens of thousands of fans filed into SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on June 21 to watch Iran face Belgium in a FIFA World Cup group stage match, a very different kind of crowd gathered outside the gates.
Roughly 200 protesters assembled near the stadium to condemn the Iranian government and shine a spotlight on the violent crackdown that killed thousands of Iranians in January. The match itself ended 0-0.
What happened outside SoFi Stadium
Protesters chanted “Freedom for Iran” and waved the pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag, a symbol of opposition to the current Islamic Republic. The rally was largely peaceful despite heightened security that included road closures and a visible police presence around the venue.
FIFA has banned the Lion and Sun flag from stadiums, classifying it as a political symbol. A California court upheld that ban earlier in June 2026, meaning fans could not bring it inside the venue.
