When Iran kicks off its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in Los Angeles on June 15, Iranian-American businessman Ehsan Shafi will be in the stands cheering on Team Melli, a rare chance to welcome the national team he adores to his adopted home.
Rather than a moment of pure sporting celebration, however, the US-Israel war with Iran has left fans like Shafi torn between excitement to see the team on the world’s biggest stage, anger at Tehran’s crackdown on protesters and concern that Washington’s bombing campaign has gone too far.
“All players want a chance to play in the World Cup,” said the 46-year-old Shafi, speaking after playing in a Sunday morning match for Arya FC, an Iranian-American amateur club in the Los Angeles suburb of Woodland Hills.
“It doesn’t matter what’s going on in the world. We’re very excited to see our national team.”
However, Shafi acknowledged the tension.
“It’s a very complicated situation. “No one likes to see their country under bombardment. It’s very complicated for our people.”
Tens of thousands of Iranian-Americans live in Los Angeles, where a distinct diaspora often referred to as “Tehrangeles” has taken root. The Melli team, which means national team in Persian, has long been a common symbol linking that community to the country many of them fled after the 1979 Iranian revolution amid political turmoil and repression.
Shafi has secured the tickets and speaks with the optimism of a fan focused on the matches and the rare chance to see the team up close.
However, this enthusiasm is far from universal.
Arya FC teammate Shawn Rezaei has come to the opposite conclusion.
A 59-year-old restaurateur who fled Iran during the revolution, Rezaei has taken part in World Cups in Germany, Brazil, Russia and Qatar. This summer, he says, will be the first time he stays away.
“I’m a die-hard football fan,” he said. “But this time, because of the political situation, I’m boycotting.”
Rezaei had originally applied for tickets to the US, but ultimately decided he could not reconcile his support for the team with his opposition to the authorities in Tehran.
“This team is not representing the nation,” he said. “They are essentially a propaganda proxy for the regime.”
The rift between Shafi and Rezaei reverberates more widely across the community.
These concerns also help explain the cautious attitude that players themselves often take.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Iran’s team drew global attention when players did not sing the national anthem before their opening match, a gesture widely seen as support for anti-government protesters.
In subsequent matches, celebrations were muted and displays of nationalism subdued, moves interpreted by some as acts of peaceful defiance but criticized by others as insufficient.
The episode exposed the pressures facing the team, with reports that players and their families could face repercussions at home.
After the New Zealand match, Team Melli will face Belgium (also in LA) on June 21, before taking on Egypt on June 27 in Seattle.
(With agency data)
