“We don’t get involved in politics.” Was signed: the striker of the Iranian national team, Mehdi Taremi, on Sunday during a press conference in Los Angeles. “We are here to unite people and bring fun. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”
Despite the footballer’s words, Iran’s participation in this World Cup is full of political tensions. On the night from Monday to Tuesday, at 3:00 am Dutch time, Iran will play its first match of this World Cup in Los Angeles. New Zealand is the opponent. Barely 24 hours before the start of the match, a ceasefire was announced between Iran and the US, the World Cup host country that started a war against Iran together with Israel. In addition to the relations between the countries, there are also tensions with the Iranian diaspora in the US.
No warm welcome
The Iranian selection has only been in Los Angeles, California since Sunday. Initially, the team would spend the entire World Cup on American soil, but a base in the state of Arizona was chosen. That plan was scrapped after the start of the Iran war, writes, among others The Guardian. It was quickly decided that Iran should have an operating base in the Mexican city of Tijuana, located on the border with the US. Immediately after the match against New Zealand, players and staff will fly back to Mexico. This will also happen after the next two group matches, which will be played in Los Angeles and Seattle.
Not everyone in the team is allowed to cross the border. The visas of eleven Iranian staffers have been rejected by the US. “I think so [de organisatie van] This World Cup could have created a better atmosphere than it has now,” said striker Taremi during the press conference. He and the rest of the team were met by many police and security guards upon arrival in the US.
Criticism from Iranian Americans
About 375,000 people from the Iranian diaspora live in California. Westwood, a neighborhood in Los Angeles where many Iranian Americans live, is sometimes referred to by the nickname “Tehrangeles.”
Opposite the hotel where the Iranian selection was staying, a small group of demonstrators gathered on Sunday, report American media. They waved American and Israeli flags. The Iranian flag with a sun and a lion in the middle was also carried. That flag was replaced during the Islamic Revolution of 1979. One of the demonstrators held a sign that read “this is not the national team of Iran.” Reza Pahlawi, the son of the ousted Shah in 1979, wrote on X that the Iranian regime uses football as a “weapon against the Iranian people”.
The Iranian regime posted a video on X on Wednesday with AI-generated images of the national football team. The accompanying texts in the video refer to ideas of the Shia movement within Islam, the ideology propagated by the regime.
Serdar Azmoun, one of Iran’s star players, was left out of the squad earlier this month. According to Iranian media this could be due to posts on social media in which Azmoun posed with the leader of the Emirate of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Live blog
2026 FIFA World Cup
Netherlands-Japan: World Cup match with most empty seats