LOS ANGELES: When Iran kick off their World Cup campaign next week in Los Angeles, Iranian-American businessman Ehsan Shafi will be in the stands cheering on Team Melli, a rare chance to welcome the national side he adores to his adopted home.
Instead of a moment of pure sporting celebration, however, the US-Israeli war with Iran has left fans like Shafi torn between excitement at seeing the team on the world’s biggest stage, anger at Tehran’s crackdown on protesters, and concern that Washington’s bombing campaign has gone too far.
Reuters interviews with Iranian-American soccer fans in Los Angeles, home to the world’s largest Iranian Diaspora, along with a review of social media posts, show a community split between pride in Iranian identity and rejection of the country’s rulers, forcing many to weigh whether to watch, attend or disengage from the tournament altogether.
“All players wish to have a chance to play in the World Cup,” said 46-year-old Shafi, speaking after playing in a Sunday morning game for Arya FC, an amateur Iranian-American club in the Los Angeles suburb of Woodland Hills.
“It doesn’t matter what’s happening in the world. We are so excited to see our national team.”
Even so, Shafi acknowledged the tension.
“It’s a very complicated situation,” he said. “Nobody likes to see their country under bombing. It’s very complicated for our people.”
’TEHRANGELES’
Tens of thousands of Iranian-Americans live in Los Angeles, where a distinct Diaspora often referred to as “Tehrangeles” has taken root. Team Melli, meaning the national team in Persian, has long been a shared symbol linking that community to the country many fled after the 1979 Iranian revolution amid political upheaval and repression.
Iran face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21 before traveling to Seattle to take on Egypt on June 26. Shafi has secured tickets and speaks with the optimism of a fan focused on the games and the rare chance to see the team up close.
That enthusiasm, however, is far from universal.
Arya FC teammate Shawn Rezaei has reached the opposite conclusion.
A 59-year-old restaurant executive who left Iran during the revolution, Rezaei has attended World Cups in Germany, Brazil, Russia and Qatar. This summer, he says, will be the first time he stays away.
“I’m a die-hard football fan,” he said. “But this time, because of the political situation, I’m boycotting.”
Rezaei had initially applied for tickets in the US but ultimately decided he could not reconcile his support for the team with his opposition to the authorities in Tehran.
“This team is not representing the nation,” he said. “They are basically a propaganda proxy for the regime.”
PLAYER PROTESTS
The divide between Shafi and Rezaei is echoed more broadly across the community.
Other Iranian-American fans who spoke to Reuters requested anonymity, citing fears that criticism of the Iranian government could endanger relatives at home or that speaking out on US policy could have repercussions within their communities.
Others raised safety concerns, particularly for younger fans, over whether Iran matches would become flashpoints for anti-war or anti-Iranian government protests, or for US immigration enforcement crackdowns.
Those concerns also help explain the cautious stance often taken by the players themselves.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Iran’s team drew global attention when players refrained from singing the national anthem before their opening match, a gesture widely seen as support for anti-government protesters.
In later matches, celebrations were muted and displays of nationalism subdued, moves interpreted by some as acts of quiet defiance but criticized by others as insufficient.
The episode exposed the pressures facing the team, with reports that players and their families could face consequences back home.
“Who am I to judge the actions of the team when I myself don’t want to speak out publicly in case it endangers my family,” said one Iranian-American fan with relatives in Tehran, who plans to attend a World Cup game in Los Angeles.
