Englewood, Calif. – Iran and New Zealand met in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup Monday night at Los Angeles Stadium. The match was a thrilling 2-2 draw, with the All Whites taking the lead twice. It was a statement night for the island nation, with Elijah Just scoring a brace. But the real story was in the Iranian dressing room and in the stands.
Pending recent and familiar promises from U.S. President Donald Trump, we are 60 days into a war between the two countries. Despite FIFA’s ban on protests at this World Cup, the Iran supporters made their feelings known before and during the match.
There was a Free Palestine and anti-ICE demonstration at the corner of South Prairie Avenue and East Arbor Vitae Street. Behind the northwest goal, which Iran defended in the first half, the front row had banners reading “Minab 168.” This referred to the 168 civilian who were killed when a missile strike hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab. Most of the 168 were school girls.
Iran fans outnumbered the New Zealand support. After the two Iran equalizers, it sounded almost as loud as Friday night, when the United States put four past Paraguay. Much of the crowd were wearing white. The white of the nation’s flag fittingly represents peace and purity. The team fittingly were wearing their home shirts, a white base with a grey Asiatic Cheetah design.
Throughout the match, the crowd chanted “I-Ran” in two counts. From the press box, I thought I could make out, “Olé, Olé Olé Olé, Iran, Iran.” I thought I even heard an offhanded comment of “No Iran, no party,” a play on the Scotland chant “No Scotland, no party.
In addition to the Minab 168 banners, there were hundreds (thousands?) of Iran flags. The pre-1979 Lion and Sun and other non-official variations appeared to get past security despite a recent ruling that would see them not allowed in stadiums for the tournament.
The mixed zone was something to behold. Fullback Ramin Rezaeia, who scored the first Iran goal, was first to speak. The press officer only had him take three questions. On more than one occasion, he stated his English was not good, possibly as a deflection. Journalists who spoke Farsi helped translate. One of them was wearing a national team shirt. FIFA did not provide a staff translator.
For his goal celebration, he lifted his shirt over his face and held out his arms. “It’s something special. Happiness… It’s something political. I don’t want to talk about that,” he said when asked.
“We are here to answer football questions… My people in Iran, they are so great… Everyone in the world now know if there is any problem between us, it is our business. It is none of your business,” he said when asked about the mix of jeering and protesting during the national anthem.
Mohammad Mohebi scored the second goal, letting Mehdi Ghayedi jump on him as he shook a hand with his index finger in the air. Mohebi and star striker Mehdi Taremi spoke after Rezaeia in mixed zone.
The players said before matchday that they were told they had to leave that night. One player said passing through mixed zone that the flight home was at 12, presumably midnight that after the game. Travel home immediately after the match is relatively normal for the tournament. The team arrived in Los Angeles the day before the match.
The travel to allow for immigration and customs delays has made fitness and recovery difficult. The team has set up camp in Tijuana after it proved too difficult to be in the States. Their other two group stage games are in Los Angeles and Seattle. There is one path for them to play a knockout game in Vancouver. There is no path in the bracket for them to play a game in Mexico at any point in the tournament.
“We need to come two days before the game. Today (tonight) is going to be recovery. Tomorrow morning or tomorrow afternoon, we gonna fly,” said Mohebi.
“It’s a bad situation, from the last two months. We are tired of the situation. It affects our team. We just want peace. Which is the centers of the FIFA. Peace, joy… Now everything is good. We just want everyone be calm,” said Taremi.
“I’m a football player. We are here to play football, my friend,” he said when asked what he would say to President Trump if he could. Taremi called the team’s treatment a disaster.
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said, “We are the most oppressed team at the World Cup.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the team in the dressing room, believed to be after the game.
“He wants to try to help us. But it’s about other things too… We are here to play football,” Mohebi said of Infantino’s visit. “If no one help us, we just stay back to back, behind each other.”
“You united the whole stadium here behind you, behind Team Melli… You are writing history. The whole world is watching you. Continue to play with your heart, for your people, for your family, for your friends, and for everyone in the world that is falling in love with Team Melli. Together play with your hearts… You are stronger than everything,” Infantino said in a video that surfaced of him in the locker room postgame.
I empathize with the players. I see why they’ve chosen to ‘shut up and dribble.’
The majority of the squad plays in the domestic league. Presumably their families are back home. Regardless of their private views on the war, expressing support of the regime could lead to more travel difficulties. Speaking out against it, I fear for their safety and the safety of their loved ones back home.
How do they play as a team and deal with the juxtaposition of representing the country and its government? Does they play for themselves? Do they represent the people of Iran? Do they represent Ayatollah? Do they play in spite of leadership? They’re in a quagmire as much as the political leadership of Iran and the United States are. I get where some Iranians are coming from, saying this team represents the government, not the people or themselves individually.
Iran plays their next game Sunday, June 21, against Belgium back in Los Angeles. Kickoff is 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time. They are presumably flight the day before or even Friday, despite the flight being about an hour from Tijuana to LA.
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Eamon Shaw 
Spencer Baldwin 