Iran's World Cup Opener Against New Zealand: A Tense Encounter

Shortly after 4pm in Los Angeles, the Iran team bus was led up South Prairie Avenue by an advance party of police motorcycles. It chugged up the hill, past a small group of supporters, before making a right turn toward the gates of ‘hell.’ That is what Amir Ghalenoei and his Iran players had been warned to expect at SoFi Stadium, the $5.5 billion venue on the outskirts of LA chosen for the fraught World Cup opener against New Zealand.

Never before had a World Cup host nation been at war with one of its visitors. Ahead of this game, however, the biggest threat to Iran’s players appeared to be some exiles and compatriots living nearby. "We are going to make it hell,” promised one Iranian-American who opposes this team and the regime they claim to represent.

Upon their arrival, Iran’s players were greeted by deafening cheers from the majority of fans inside SoFi Stadium. There were Mexican waves but little hostility. In fact, the main challenge came from Elijah Just, the New Zealand winger, who scored twice to help the All Whites secure a 2-2 draw. New Zealand – the lowest-ranked team in the tournament – initially took the lead twice, only to be pegged back by goals from Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi, which sparked wild celebrations from many of the 70,000 fans. However, among the Iranian diaspora in the area, emotions were mixed.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino likely breathed a sigh of relief, as the event had the potential to turn into a World Cup disaster. Up to 35,000 protestors were expected to show up, bussed in from ‘Tehrangeles’ and across California, waving flags from before the 1979 Islamic Revolution and singing anti-government chants. They vowed to protest against Tehran's brutal crackdown on dissent earlier this year, which left thousands dead. Many protested outside SoFi and made their opposition clear, defying FIFA by sneaking in ‘Lion and Sun’ emblems, which Iranian officials had warned could lead to games being halted. That never happened.

SoFi Stadium is only a 15-minute drive from Iran’s hotel in Manhattan Beach, but this team’s path to the 2026 World Cup began long before they arrived in LA. The short flight from Tijuana on Sunday marked just the final leg of a turbulent, months-long journey filled with tension. Since conflict erupted with Israel and the United States in February, uncertainty overshadowed where their games would be held or if the team would even show up. Donald Trump had warned them not to come for their ‘own life and safety,’ and the buildup to the opening match had been marred by threats. Iran relocated from Arizona to Mexico, and nearly a dozen members of their delegation were denied visas.

When they arrived in LA, players faced protests outside their hotel and during their open training sessions, as many accused the team of being a propaganda tool of the regime. Even after a peace deal was announced on Sunday, apprehension lingered until just hours before kickoff when FIFA won a lawsuit to uphold its ban on pre-revolutionary flags. Despite the ongoing tensions, fans soon streamed into SoFi, displaying a plethora of pre-Revolutionary flags.