Conflicts · Los Angeles
Iran's World Cup opener in Los Angeles overshadowed by anthem boos, flag protests and the shadow of war
A 2-2 draw with New Zealand on Monday was the backdrop for deep divisions among Iranian-Americans, hours after a peace deal was announced and a court upheld FIFA's ban on pre-revolutionary flags.
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In brief
Iran's current anthem was booed; pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flags were waved despite a FIFA ban upheld in court that morning.
Iran twice came from behind against New Zealand in a Group G match at Los Angeles Stadium, providing 90 minutes of distraction from the political tensions.
President Trump said the US and Iran had signed a preliminary agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, changing the context around the team's presence.
Iran moved its training base from Tucson to Tijuana after the US-led war began in February, and some officials could not enter the United States.
Hundreds demonstrated outside, calling the team a mouthpiece of the regime; arguments between fans and protesters required intervention by sheriff's deputies.
- 14 JunPresident Trump announces a preliminary US-Iran peace deal late on Sunday evening.
- 15 JunA Los Angeles court upholds FIFA's ban on pre-revolutionary flags at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
- 15 JunKick-off at Los Angeles Stadium. Fans boo the current Iranian anthem, wave banned flags, and Iran draw 2-2 with New Zealand.
Before the whistle
Outside Los Angeles Stadium, the largest Iranian diaspora community in the United States was anything but united. Hundreds of protesters chanted slogans against the Tehran regime, many waving the pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flag that FIFA had banned as a political symbol. Others headed into the stadium in Team Melli shirts, insisting they were there only for the football. At one point, protesters snatched an official Iran flag from a fan and ripped it apart.
“They are not my team. They are a government team,”
“I'm just here to watch the sport, it's not about the regime.”
A morning in court
The day began not on the pitch but in room 836 of the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Lawyer Shahrokh Mokhtarzadeh argued that denying the lion-and-sun flag violated free speech. FIFA's three lawyers countered that a private company can set its own rules. Judge Curtis A. Kin sided with football's governing body.
“Free speech is incredibly important, it is sacred, a bedrock of our society, but it is not without limitation, such as private actor, on private property, and as shown by previous cases, regulating in reasonable way. I deny the application.”
Still, many smuggled the banned flags past security or wore the emblem on T-shirts. One group unfurled the old flag opposite an enormous current-flag display during the pre-match ceremonies.
The 90 minutes that made thousands forget
Inside, a heaving crowd watched Iran come from behind twice to draw 2-2 with New Zealand. The national anthem was met with a mix of boos and cheers. Ella Bah, 42, wore a lion-and-sun flag like a dress, changing clothes to conceal it before entering.
“We're not here to cheer them on. We're here to be the voice for the people inside Iran.”
A team uprooted by war
The match took place hours after President Donald Trump announced a preliminary peace deal to end the US-Israel war with Iran, which had closed the Strait of Hormuz. The team had moved its training camp from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, after the war began on 28 February. Some officials were not granted US visas, and star striker Sardar Azmoun was absent after earlier social media posts that drew a warning from the Revolutionary Guards. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei later called his side
“the most oppressed one”
A day in three acts
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Sources and context
- The Wall Street JournalPride and Politics at Iran's World Cup Home Game -- in Los Angeles
- Irish ExaminerAs Iran chases the World Cup, its US diaspora is divided between protesting and cheering
- The GuardianIran overcomes its divisions for 90 minutes, then same old problems return
- France 24Flag debate divides diaspora as Iran begin World Cup with New Zealand draw
- Behnam Mohebbi
- 68-year-old Iranian-born fan who attended the match to see Iran play in a World Cup for the first time.
- Rameileh Jaffrey
- 46-year-old Los Angeles resident and protester who views the national team as aligned with the Iranian government.
- Kia Keanh
- Iranian fan who attended the match with his family, saying he was there only for the sport and not the regime.
- Ella Bah
- 42-year-old protester who wore a banned lion-and-sun flag as clothing into the stadium to voice opposition to Tehran.
- Amir Ghalenoei
- Head coach of the Iranian national team, who called his side 'the most oppressed' in the competition.
- Shahrokh Mokhtarzadeh
- Lawyer who argued before a Los Angeles court that the ban on pre-revolutionary flags violated free speech.
- Curtis A. Kin
- Los Angeles Superior Court judge who upheld FIFA's ban on the lion-and-sun flag.
- Sardar Azmoun
- Iranian forward, third on the country's all-time goalscoring list, who was absent from the match after controversial social media posts.
- Donald Trump
- President of the United States, who announced a preliminary peace deal with Iran hours before the match.
- Places
- Los Angeles
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