Iran has arrived in Los Angeles for its second game – the situation in the war with the USA is also overshadowing this game, and new protests could be seen in the stands.
The Iranian federation released photos of the team’s arrival in Los Angeles. On Sunday (9 p.m. CEST) the team will face Belgium in their second group game. In the first game, Iran also played 2-2 against New Zealand in Los Angeles. The association once again had a political message with it: Hastag #168 referred to the number of victims of an attack on a school in Iran that was attributed to the USA.
Before Iran’s third World Cup game, the association can apparently hope that the travel restrictions will be relaxed. As coach Amir Ghalenoei reported in the matchday press conference on Sunday night (CEST), his team would “apparently allowed to travel to Seattle early for the third game. I just wish they had allowed us to do that in the first two games” said Ghalenoei.
Iran’s association criticizes conditions in the USA
Hedayat Mombeyni, the general secretary of the Iranian Football Association, previously criticized the USA in its role as host. Dealing with the Iranian team represents a “dark chapter in the history of the World Cup.” He means the travel restrictions, which, in his view, make fair sporting competition more difficult.
The team only arrived on Saturday; they were not allowed to arrive earlier. The team was only allowed to arrive the day before the game, said Andrew Giuliani, who leads the White House task force on the World Cup.
The game is overshadowed by an announcement from Iran, to close the Strait of Hormuz againovershadowed. The move was justified by Israeli attacks in Lebanon. The US military contradicted this and said shipping traffic continued. It remains unclear whether Foglen will influence the declaration of intent by both sides for a peace agreement.
Flag ban without much effect in the first game
Iran’s first game in the USA was already under great political scrutiny. A court in Los Angeles had basically allowed the world association FIFA to ban the display of Iran’s pre-revolutionary flag in the stadium. The flag shows a motif of a lion with a sword in front of a sun and is considered a symbol of resistance against the regime in Tehran. Nevertheless, the symbol could be seen several times in the stadium. Are there similar actions in the second game too?
There was a demonstration outside the stadium before the game against New Zealand. During the protests, there were calls for the team to be excluded because they viewed it as a propaganda tool for the regime in Tehran. The regime in Tehran threatened protesting fans with consequences such as confiscating their assets in Iran. The Iranian government consistently suppresses any dissent. According to human rights organizations, in 2025 alone more than 2,000 people executed.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino was present at the game against New Zealand and visited the Iranian team in the dressing room after the game, where he gave a speech. Before the start of the tournament, Infantino praised Iran’s participation as proof of his association’s success in dealing with complex political issues. Trump publicly advised the team against traveling to the World Cup and had previously said that he would “completely irrelevant” whether Iran plays along or not.
Iran’s role at the World Cup is a constant theme of the tournament
The question of whether and how Iran can, should and will play at the 2026 World Cup is a defining theme of this World Cup. It remained unclear for a long time whether the team would be allowed to enter the USA; the USA refused many delegation members a visa. Iran’s government has threatened to boycott the tournament and cancel the game if there are protests – both announcements were not implemented.
During the game against New Zealand, coaches and players criticized the fact that they had to immediately travel back to their training camp in Mexico without rest.