Iranian Americans plan protests and watch parties ahead of the team’s World Cup opener

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Iranian Americans are upset about Iran’s participation in the World Cup, with some community members planning to watch Monday’s game and others protesting outside the stadium where the team will play.

A march was organized outside the stadium near Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran. Many Iranian Americans arrived in Southern California after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the center of restaurants, shops and markets about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the stadium is known as “Tehrangeles.”

The demonstrators, wearing red and green flags decorated with a golden lion and sun, to protest Tehran’s deadly January crackdown on dissent, gathered outside the stadium where Iran will face New Zealand. Just hours before kickoff, a Los Angeles judge upheld FIFA’s ban on the use of the pre-revolution flag in matches, The Athletic reported.

When football and geopolitics collide

People protest outside Los Angeles Stadium ahead of the Group G soccer match between Iran and New Zealand in Inglewood, California, near Los Angeles on Monday. Photo by Jay C. Hong/AP Photo

Some protesters said they had tickets to watch the match while others did not. Ramila Jafri, 46, from Los Angeles, said she feels the national team players are allied with the current government in Iran. She said she wants a change in the Tehran government to achieve freedom for people living in the country she left more than ten years ago.

“They’re not my team. They’re a government team,” she said.

However, she said she hopes Iran wins, and has plans to see the team play later in the tournament.

Iran’s participation in the tournament was fraught with conflict due to the country’s war with American and Israeli forces. The team moved its training base to Mexico from Tucson, Arizona, and some of the country’s key soccer officials were not granted visas to enter the United States. Many in the diaspora have mixed feelings about how to show their support for the Iranian people, rather than the government, through their love of football.

Read more: What do you know about the deal to end the Iranian war?

“We are playing for every Iranian, whether it is in the diaspora or in Iran,” team captain Mehdi Taremi said in a press conference on Sunday. “People have different opinions, but we are here to unite people and we will try to bring joy to all Iranians wherever they live.” “We are here to bring joy to the Iranian people. We do not interfere in politics. We are here to play football.”

A wide range of viewpoints

Reza Jarajedaghi, 57, said he would watch the match with his 96-year-old father in San Diego. He said he did not buy tickets for the game, partly because of the high prices. But he said he supports the team, regardless of politics, while respecting the wide range of views shared by Iranians in the diaspora.

“I am a football fan, and the boys represent all Persians and Iranians around the world,” said Qarajidaghi, who left Iran when he was 10 years old. “For me, it has nothing to do with any government in Iran.”

Watching parties to support the team are scheduled in Southern California, and when Iran was assigned last year to play in Los Angeles, many bought tickets. But in recent months some have said they sold their tickets out of anger, following the brutal crackdown in January.

Some Iranian American football fans also said the team is currently involved 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 the country’s leadership, and star striker Serdar Azmoun was not selected for this year’s World Cup squad, due to a social media post that angered the authorities.

Iran coach Amir Ghalinoi described Azmoun as an “excellent player” and said he wished he was with the team.

“I’m happy that they’re coming to watch us and I hope they pray for us and I hope they encourage us,” Galinoi said Sunday when asked about the large diaspora community. He added that he hopes the team will return this loyalty by playing a good match.

Science question

Some Iranian Americans are also upset by FIFA’s ruling prohibiting the flying of political flags. They want to raise the lion and sun flag before the revolution, which is not the official flag of Iran. The Iranian American Voices for Freedom Institute filed a lawsuit last week challenging FIFA’s flag rule, but a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled Monday that the ban could stand.

“There could be harm to about 2,500 employees who have to deal with safety protocols,” Judge Curtis Kane said, according to The Athletic. He added: “It is a huge burden to change the long-established stadium protocol for a huge event in a matter of hours. It is difficult to see how FIFA can make a change in one stadium but not the rest.”

During the opening ceremony held on Friday in Los Angeles, audience members, most of whom were Americans, booed when the Iranian flag was raised on the field.

Late Sunday, President Donald Trump announced that the United States had reached an agreement with Iran to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. The war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28 has shaken the region and effectively halted shipments of oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf. Details of the deal expected to be signed on Friday were not available.

AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham contributed to this report.