In Los Angeles, Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup has ignited fierce debate long before the team has kicked a single ball.
For Iranian-American activist Roozbeh Farahanipour, football and politics are entirely inseparable when it comes to this tournament.
“The Iranian team is not playing. The Islamic Republic’s team is,” says Farahanipour, who fled Iran in 2000 after years of political activism.
Farahanipour serves as chief executive of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and is a prominent voice within the city’s large Iranian community.
Los Angeles, and specifically the Westwood neighbourhood long nicknamed “Tehrangeles”, is home to one of the largest Iranian communities anywhere outside Iran itself.
Iran are scheduled to play two group-stage matches in Los Angeles, including a fixture against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium on 15 June, with a third match to follow in Seattle.
Outside SoFi Stadium, protesters have gathered waving the Lion and Sun flag, the pre-revolution banner that for many Iranians symbolises resistance to the current Islamic Republic government.
Football’s governing body Fifa has banned the Lion and Sun flag from inside World Cup stadiums, classifying it as a political symbol under tournament rules, prompting accusations of interference from demonstrators.
“We’re in the United States – the land of the free,” says Farahanipour. “The First Amendment guarantees freedom of expression and speech. Fifa should not interfere when people want to express themselves.”
Protest organiser Arezo Rashidian explained the significance of the banned flag to those who carry it outside the ground.
“It is a stance against the Islamic Republic. This is the real flag of Iran,” Rashidian says, as demonstrators around her chant for democracy and freedom.
Rashidian adds that protesters are acting against “the mass killings of individuals protesting freely,” referring to the crackdowns during the anti-government protests in January and February that resulted in thousands of deaths.
The post-revolution flag carries the same green, white and red stripes but features an Islamic emblem of four crescents and a sword, along with the Arabic inscription “Allahu Akbar.”
The Iranian Football Federation reportedly made “respect for the official Iranian flag” one of its conditions for participating in the tournament, adding further fuel to an already volatile situation.
For many Iranian Americans, separating their passion for Team Melli from their opposition to the regime in Tehran is an emotionally painful and seemingly impossible task.
“I wish I could,” says Tannaz Parsi, becoming emotional outside the stadium. “This is not an easy thing for us to do – demonstrating against our people – these are our kids.”
“But they put their hands with the Islamic republic,” Parsi adds, referring directly to the players representing the national side.
Farahanipour himself acknowledges that the situation is not entirely straightforward, despite his firm opposition to the government in Tehran.
“The players are Iranian athletes. They are talented people. I respect them individually,” he says, before adding: “But when they wear the uniform of the regime, to me, they represent the regime.”
His personal grievances with the Islamic Republic run extraordinarily deep, rooted in experiences that go far beyond political disagreement.
“My mother was killed. My cousin and friends were killed,” he says. “There is no peace between me and this regime.”
The World Cup is taking place against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire following conflict that broke out on 28 February after the US and Israel attacked Iran.
“I hate this regime and I hate this war,” Farahanipour says. “Nothing justifies killing innocent people.”
Despite everything, Farahanipour expresses a degree of sympathy for the players who must perform under extraordinary political pressure on American soil.
“I feel bad for them,” he says. “They have to play under so much pressure.”
When asked whether he could ever imagine separating the team from the government, his answer is immediate and unequivocal.
“Only if they separate themselves from the Islamic Republic’s anthem and flag.”
