Iranian American soccer fans are facing a difficult choice as Team Melli, the Persian nickname for Iran’s national men’s squad, prepares for its World Cup, with the campaign starting June 15 near Los Angeles against New Zealand. For many in the Iranian diaspora—some of whom left after the 1979 Islamic Revolution or later conflicts—the tournament has become something more than sport, with fans weighing pride in the team against anger at the government and at Iranian athletes’ public silence.
Arad Ershad, a New York graduate student who grew up in Tehran, said his enthusiasm for the players he had admired since childhood faded after Iran’s January crackdown on protesters that followed the country’s theocratic leadership. Ershad recalled seeing how many athletes did not speak out and said, during a pickup soccer game on Long Island, that he felt torn between the World Cup’s importance and his belief that they should not stay silent.
“It feels so bad that I do not want them to succeed. They were like my icons, my legends,” Ershad said. “I know playing a World Cup is the biggest thing a soccer player can achieve in his life, but how can you just be silent?” For Ershad and others, the conflict is sharpened by the question of who the team represents—whether it can be separated from politics in a country where athletes who challenge authorities can face consequences.
The division extends across how fans plan to show up. Some see the men’s team as complicit in what they describe as whitewashing the government’s repression and avoid watching. Others said they still want to attend games in person to show love for Iran and for soccer, sometimes intending to hold signs that protest the leadership. Still others, including those making plans around tickets for Iran’s two Los Angeles-area matches, said they want to set politics aside and watch.
Iranian participation has also been clouded by the broader conflict. Iranian officials called into question whether the team could take part, citing the country’s war with the United States and Israel. Iranian soccer officials recently met with FIFA’s head, according to the report, and FIFA insisted Iran stick to the World Cup schedule. The team’s World Cup opener is scheduled for June 15 near Los Angeles, in a tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Nader Adeli, who manages Iranian American club Arya FC’s over-60 squad in Los Angeles, said he worries the war could keep Iran from attending. He noted that former President Donald Trump discouraged the Iranian team from taking part last month, citing safety concerns, and said Iran asked to move its matches to Mexico, which FIFA rejected. Adeli, who did not win the ticket lottery to attend one of Iran’s Los Angeles-area matches, said he wanted the World Cup to be a chance to enjoy soccer without outside distractions, but he doubted the team would travel and that players could fully focus if it does.
“Sports should never become a political issue,” Adeli said. “As people, we have nothing against any Americans, we have nothing against any Iranians. It is just the governments.” His comments reflect a recurring theme among fans: while some reject politicizing the tournament, many say Iran’s government policies and the risks faced by athletes make it difficult to treat the matches as purely athletic.
The debate has also been shaped by developments involving Iranian women’s players. Iran’s women’s team drew attention last month after several members did not sing along to the national anthem before their opening match at the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia. While they sang it later in the next two fixtures, some commenters interpreted their first silence as protest against the government, while others said it reflected mourning over the war. The women’s team and players did not comment on the matter, though two players accepted asylum offers to remain in Australia.
Shiva Amini, a former women’s team player now living in New York City, said she is among Iranian ex-pats calling on the Trump administration not to grant visas to Iran’s men’s team to play in the World Cup. Amini, 36, left Iran in 2017 after being photographed in Europe without wearing a headscarf. She said many Iranians soured on the men’s squad during the 2022 World Cup, when players stayed silent as street demonstrations erupted over Iran’s mandatory headscarf laws following Mahsa Amini’s death.
“They had a big platform, and instead of talking about that, they were laughing, they were so happy, and it was honestly a slap on the face,” Amini said. “So those are not the Iranian national soccer team. Those are the regime’s national soccer team.” She acknowledged that the few players who spoke out paid dearly, pointing to Amir Nasr-Azadani, who she said faces years behind bars for his involvement in the 2022 protests.
Other Iranian American fans described a similar tension between pride and opposition, but with different tactics. Masoud Ahmadi, 62, an interior designer who plays for Sina FC, another largely Iranian American over-60 club in Los Angeles, said he is trying to get a ticket to see Iran. Ahmadi said he would carry Iran’s lion-and-sun flag—a symbol that predates the Islamic Revolution—and try to raise his voice against the leadership.
“We’re going to definitely raise our voice,” Ahmadi said. “This team is not an Iranian people’s team. This is a government team.” He said he was detained in Iran as a teenager before fleeing to Turkey on foot, and that the United States granted him political asylum. Sasan Sadri, who manages the team, said he would also look to protest if he scores a ticket—trying to wear a shirt calling for leadership change in Iran—while still expressing support for Iran’s participation in principle.
“As my countrymen, I like them to achieve,” Sadri said. “I don’t support the regime, but soccer is soccer.” For Ershad, the question is whether meaningful change will come before the tournament begins. He said he plans to support the Iranian team if Iran’s government is overthrown before the tournament starts; if not, he said he would instead back Cristiano Ronaldo’s team to win.
“It’s so hard to not cheer for your national team, but let’s go Portugal,” Ershad said.