"40,000 Massacred" vs. "Keep Politics Out of Soccer": Chaos at Stadium

As the Iranian national soccer team played its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, conflicting reactions erupted among Iranian-Americans both inside and outside the stadium.

According to reports from the AP and The Athletic on June 15 (local time), a large number of Iranian spectators gathered at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, for the match between Iran and New Zealand.

Some attendees waved the former flag of the Pahlavi dynasty, which features a golden lion and sun, to express their opposition to the current Islamic regime. Some also carried placards with the slogan, "Make Iran Great Again."

Aida Monfared, who participated in the protest, criticized the team to the New York Post, stating, "The Iranian national soccer team does not represent the Iranian people. They represent an Iranian government that has massacred 40,000 people in just two days."

At the same time, other protesters marched, calling for the separation of politics and sports.

Some fans wore shirts supporting the Iranian soccer team, drawing jeers from the protesters.

Los Angeles is home to the largest population of Iranian immigrants in the United States.

The majority of them are people who fled after the Pahlavi dynasty was ousted in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and they tend to be vocal in their opposition to the current regime.

Political messages continued inside the stadium as well.

Although FIFA banned the entry of the former Iranian flag into the stadium, it was spotted in various parts of the stands.

Fans who wore shirts featuring the Pahlavi dynasty flag were denied entry and were only allowed in after turning their shirts inside out.

Mehdi, a fan who entered the stadium wearing such a shirt, emphasized, "I made this into a shirt because it is the true flag of my homeland."

Another woman, who had draped the former flag around her body like a dress, said, "I didn't come here to cheer. I came to make the voices of the Iranian people heard."

These spectators booed during the Iranian national anthem, frowned at the Iranian team's good plays, and cheered for New Zealand's goals.

Additionally, eight spectators sitting behind the goal drew attention by holding up a banner reading "MINAB 168," condemning an incident in which 168 children were killed at a school in the Minab region of Iran due to a U.S. airstrike.

This banner was later confiscated.

In a nearby section of the stands, a banner reading "42,000 #IranMassacre" also appeared.

This figure refers to the number of its own citizens the Iranian regime has allegedly massacred this year.

Iran finished its first match of the tournament with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.