Iranian American soccer fans torn between pride and protest as World Cup nears

Many Iranian Americans have conflicting emotions about their homeland's national team as the World Cup comes to North America.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 2:20pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a soccer match or competition, with overlapping planes of color and shape representing the complex feelings of Iranian American fans towards their national team.The conflicting emotions of Iranian American soccer fans are reflected in a cubist-inspired illustration that deconstructs the tension between national pride and political protest.Irvine Today

Many Iranian soccer fans in the U.S. have conflicting emotions about their homeland's beloved national team as the World Cup comes to North America. Some don't plan to cheer for Iran because they say the players have failed to speak out against the government's deadly crackdown on protesters. Others plan to attend Iran's games to show their love for the country and sport, but bearing signs of protest. Still others say they'll set politics aside and just enjoy seeing Iran compete on soccer's biggest stage.

Why it matters

The Iranian national team often finds itself unable to avoid political issues, with athletes facing serious consequences for speaking out against the government. This has created a divide among Iranian American fans who are torn between their pride in their homeland's team and their desire to protest the regime's actions.

The details

Many Iranian American fans, like Arad Ershad, a New York graduate student who grew up in Tehran, are conflicted about whether to support the Iranian national team. Ershad had planned to attend Iran's matches in Los Angeles, but changed his mind after seeing the players' silence following the government's crackdown on protesters. Other fans, like Masoud Ahmadi, a 62-year-old interior designer, plan to attend Iran's games and protest the regime by carrying the country's pre-revolutionary flag. Some, like Sasan Sadri, the manager of an Iranian American club team, say they'll try to wear shirts calling for leadership change in Iran. And others, like Ershad, say they'll support Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal team instead.

  • Iran is set to begin its World Cup campaign against New Zealand on June 15 near Los Angeles.
  • Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump discouraged the Iranian team from taking part in the World Cup, citing safety concerns.

The players

Arad Ershad

A New York graduate student who grew up in Tehran and is conflicted about whether to support the Iranian national team.

Masoud Ahmadi

A 62-year-old interior designer who plays for an Iranian American over-60 club team and plans to attend Iran's World Cup games to protest the regime by carrying the country's pre-revolutionary flag.

Sasan Sadri

The manager of an Iranian American club team who says he'll try to wear a shirt calling for leadership change in Iran if he gets a ticket to see Iran play.

Shiva Amini

A former member of the Iranian women's national team who is calling on the Trump administration not to grant visas to the men's team to play in the World Cup.

Sardar Azmoun

A star striker for Iran's national team who was not selected for World Cup warmup games, reportedly because of a social media post that angered the authorities.

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What they’re saying

“'It feels so bad that I do not want them to succeed. They were like my icons, my legends. 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?'”

— Arad Ershad, New York graduate student

“'Sports should never become a political issue. As people, we have nothing against any Americans, we have nothing against any Iranians. It is just the governments.'”

— Nader Adeli, Manager of Iranian American club team Arya FC

“'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. So those are not the Iranian national soccer team. Those are the regime's national soccer team.'”

— Shiva Amini, Former member of the Iranian women's national team

“'We're going to definitely raise our voice. This team is not an Iranian people's team. This is a government team.'”

— Masoud Ahmadi, Player for Iranian American over-60 club team Sina FC

“'As my countrymen, I like them to achieve. I don't support the regime, but soccer is soccer.'”

— Sasan Sadri, Manager of Iranian American club team

What’s next

Iranian soccer officials recently met with the head of FIFA, international soccer's governing body, who has insisted that Iran stick to the World Cup schedule. However, there are still worries that Iran may not be able to participate due to the ongoing war with the United States and Israel.

The takeaway

The conflicting emotions of Iranian American soccer fans highlight the complex political and social issues surrounding the Iranian national team's participation in the World Cup. While some fans want to support their homeland's team, others feel they cannot in good conscience cheer for a team they see as complicit in the regime's repression. This divide reflects the broader tensions within the Iranian diaspora community.