Pride and protest in ‘Tehrangeles’: A divided diaspora watches Iran at the World Cup

Inja News ژوئن 16, 2026 2 minutes read

LOS ANGELES — Fans snuck them into the stadium. Demonstrators waved them outside the security gates. And at watch parties around the city, they appeared whenever the “home” team scored.

The lion-and-sun flag, associated with Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, was seemingly everywhere across “Tehrangeles” on Monday as Iran opened its World Cup campaign against New Zealand.

But its meaning varied depending on who carried it.

Some told NBC News the flag symbolized solidarity with the Iranian people, who many feel have been isolated by conflict and political turmoil. Others said it represented opposition to Team Melli, Iran’s national soccer team, which they view as an extension of the clerical regime governing the Islamic Republic.

The competing interpretations reflect a question that has long weighed on the Iranian diaspora: Can pride in their country coexist with opposition to its government?

“I think at the moment people are so confused, people are so angry … and they don’t know whether they support our team or not,” said Helen Kohandel, who draped one of the flags over her shoulders as she prepared to enter the stadium on Monday, defying a ban on the flag from FIFA.

“Because after all, we know that they need to be supported by the regime, otherwise they can’t play.”

The thrill of the World Cup for this soccer-mad country and its diaspora comes at a hugely fraught time for Iranians both inside and outside of the country.

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