This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
After months of uncertainty, Iran will play first World Cup match in LA tonight
(From -L) Iran's defender Ramin Rezaeian, midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi, midfielder Roozbeh Cheshmi and forward Mehdi Taremi walk around the pitch at SoFi Stadium.
(
Patrick T. Fallon
/
Getty Images
)
Iran will play its first World Cup match in Los Angeles tonight against New Zealand, just one day after the U.S. and Iran announced they had come to an agreement to end the war.
The Iranian national team arrived in L.A. yesterday, ending months of speculation about if they would make it to the tournament. The team's participation in the World Cup has been in question since the U.S. and Israel first bombed Iran in late February.
"I have felt the tension from the first moment we arrived at this World Cup," Iran captain Mehdi Taremi said through an interpreter at a press conference at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, the Associated Press reported. "At any tournament when there is tension, we won’t have the same beautiful experience we always talk about with peace and joy."
Iran's forward Mehdi Taremi gives a press conference at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 14, 2026.
(
Patrick T. Fallon
/
Getty Images
)
Iran's team faced a number of obstacles to make it to Los Angeles. In March, the sports minister for Iran said the team could not participate. President Donald Trump also made conflicting comments on if Iran should come to the U.S. to play.
The team had been scheduled to train in Tucson, Arizona, but were relocated to Tijuana, Mexico. Members of the team's staff had their visas denied, and Iran fans have also had visa troubles.
“Without any doubt, this will impact negatively the spirit of football,” Iran's head coach Amir Ghalenoei said Sunday, per AP. “These conditions, they have impacted our technical focus, but I have really tried to make sure that my players focus on strategy and techniques.”
Sponsored message
Iran's head coach Amir Ghalenoei takes part in a training session at Carson Sports Park in Carson, California on June 14, 2026.
(
Patrick T. Fallon
/
Getty Images
)
FIFA President Gianni Infantino insisted last week that Iran's participation was never in question.
"When people were saying well, it would be impossible for Iran to come to the World Cup, I told them and I promised them that they would come," he said at a press conference.
Now that Iran has made it to Los Angeles, it's unclear how the team will be received. The L.A. area is home to the biggest Iranian community outside of Iran. And the diaspora's response to the team playing here in "Tehrangeles" is mixed.
People wave US and pre-revolutionary Iranian flags as they protest the Iranian regime outside of SoFi Stadium on June 7, 2026, ahead of the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
(
Sarah Lai
/
Getty Images
)
Even with signs that the war may be coming to a close, it's been a devastating year in Iran and for Iranians abroad. Demonstrations against the government inside Iran in December and January and the killing of thousands of demonstrators there led to protests against the Iranian state in Los Angeles. Then came the war, which also brought people to the streets, but has sparked divided opinions within L.A.’s Iranian communities.
Some in Los Angeles can't separate their feelings about the government from their opinion of Iran's national team. Others say they're rooting for Iran. One thing many agree on is that there are bound to be demonstrations in and around the stadium.
Sponsored message
There's also the question of how Iran's national team will perform, and if it can make it past the first round of the World Cup.
Tonight's game kicks off at 6 p.m.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
