Iranian American Soccer Fans Torn Between Pride and Protest as World Cup Nears

Conflicting emotions as Iran's national team prepares to compete in the 2026 World Cup in North America

Apr. 9, 2026 at 10:36am

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A cubist-style painting featuring overlapping geometric shapes and planes in shades of red, blue, and green, representing the fractured perspectives of Iranian American soccer fans towards their national team.A fragmented, cubist depiction of the conflicting emotions surrounding Iran's national soccer team as it prepares to compete in the 2026 World Cup.Irvine Today

Many Iranian American soccer fans are struggling with mixed feelings as Iran's national team, known as Team Melli, prepares to compete in the 2026 World Cup in North America. Some fans view the players as complicit in whitewashing the Iranian government's repression and can't bear to watch, while others plan to attend games to show their love for the country and sport while also protesting. Others say they'll set politics aside and just enjoy seeing Iran compete on soccer's biggest stage. However, there are concerns that Iran may not even participate due to the ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel.

Why it matters

The Iranian national team often finds itself unable to avoid political issues, with players facing serious consequences for speaking out against the government. This has created a rift within the Iranian diaspora community in the U.S., many of whom are torn between their pride in the team and their desire to protest the Iranian regime's actions.

The details

Some Iranian American fans, like Arad Ershad, a New York graduate student who grew up in Tehran, are so upset that the players have remained silent about the government's crackdown on protesters that they don't want the team to succeed. Others, like Masoud Ahmadi, a 62-year-old interior designer who plays for an Iranian American over-60 club team, plan to attend games and protest by carrying the country's pre-revolution flag. There are also concerns that Iran may not even participate in the World Cup due to the ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel.

  • 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, citing safety concerns.

The players

Arad Ershad

A New York graduate student who grew up in Tehran and is conflicted about supporting the Iranian national team due to the players' silence on the government's crackdown on protesters.

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 Iranian regime by carrying the country's pre-revolution flag.

Shiva Amini

A former player on Iran's women's national team who now lives in New York City and is calling on the U.S. government not to grant visas to the men's team to play in the World Cup.

Sardar Azmoun

A star striker who played for Iran's past two World Cup teams but was not selected for this year's warmup games, reportedly because he posted a photo on social media greeting United Arab Emirates political leaders.

Amir Nasr-Azadani

An Iranian player who faces years behind bars for his involvement in the 2022 protests against the Iranian government.

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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's over-60 squad in Los Angeles

“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 player on Iran's 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 on 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 Sina FC

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 concerns that Iran may not participate due to the ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel.

The takeaway

The conflicting emotions among Iranian American soccer fans over the Iranian national team's participation in the 2026 World Cup highlights the deep divisions within the community regarding the Iranian government's actions. While some fans want to support their team, others feel the players are complicit in whitewashing the regime's repression and are calling for the team to be barred from the tournament. This issue underscores the challenges of separating sports from politics in an era of heightened global tensions.