Iran's World Cup Journey: Politics and Pressure
The World Cup has seen troubled teams before. Few have walked into it carrying as much political weight as Iran.
Until this week, the host nation – the United States – had been at war with the country. An agreement to halt hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz was only announced on Sunday. It calmed nerves, but it did not clear the air.
Into that atmosphere walks a squad that has struggled just to arrive.
A World Cup under a shadow
Visa problems stalled their plans. Security concerns forced a rethink. Months of uncertainty ended with Iran abandoning their original base in Tucson, Arizona, and shifting camp south to Tijuana, on the Mexican border.
For a World Cup team, that is not a tweak. It is an upheaval.
Iran’s manager, Amir Ghalenoei, did not dress it up when he spoke to the BBC.
"Without any doubt, this kind of behaviour has impacted the spirit of football," he said. "Football is supposed to bring nations and cultures together. It is about bringing joy. These conditions have affected our focus, but I have tried to make sure the players concentrate on strategy and performance."
The team, he added, arrived late and had little time to adjust. Preparation, the sacred word of every coach, has been compromised.
"But I know how committed these players are to performing," he said.
His striker, Mehdi Taremi, feels the strain just as keenly.
"This kind of tension undermines the joy of the World Cup," he said. "I felt the tension from the first moment we arrived. The tension started even before we got here."
For Iran, this tournament has been political long before it has been sporting.
Tehrangeles, divided
Now comes Los Angeles, a city that will not let them forget where they come from or what they represent.
The nickname is well worn: "Tehrangeles." It drew a smile from both player and manager when it surfaced at the news conference. But beneath the humour lies a harder truth. This is one of the largest Iranian diasporas in the world, and it is anything but united behind the national team.
On Monday, SoFi Stadium will stage Iran’s World Cup opener against New Zealand. It will not just be a football crowd walking through the turnstiles. Many will arrive not to cheer, but to challenge.
At the heart of the anger is a flag.
Fifa has banned the pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag, a symbol that carries enormous emotional weight for many Iranians living abroad. The decision has infuriated sections of the diaspora.
"You don't come to Los Angeles and tell us we can't fly the Lion and Sun flag," said activist Arezo Rashidian, who is helping to organise demonstrations outside the stadium. "This is the largest Iranian community outside Iran. Many of us came here after the revolution. We're opposing Fifa's ban and standing in solidarity with the people of Iran."
For many in exile, the team is not simply a football side. It is seen as an extension of the Islamic Republic.
"It's unfortunate that the regime turns athletes into mouthpieces," Rashidian said. "We want athletes to remain athletes."
Yet even she will go to the match.
"We understand the pressure they're under," she said. "We'll carry our colours. We'll cheer for Iran – the country – held captive by the Islamic Republic."
So the stands will be a patchwork of loyalties: support for the players, hostility to the regime, defiance towards Fifa. A national team walking into a stadium where every banner and chant risks becoming a political statement.
No escape on the pitch
Inside the dressing room, the message is different. The players insist they are here for football.
"As players of the national team, we play for every single Iranian, whether in the diaspora or in Iran," Taremi said. "In every country people have different opinions. We are here to unite people and bring joy. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. We don't get involved in politics."
That is the ideal. On paper, it is simple: 90 minutes, a ball, a result.
Reality is less forgiving.
"There is no winning for Iran's team," said investigative football journalist Samindra Kunti. "Given the circumstances, the political pressure, the location of the matches and the diaspora in Los Angeles, they're under enormous pressure."
"It's impossible to avoid the politics. Everything becomes a reminder of their situation."
Every training session, every media appearance, every step off the team bus carries a weight that has nothing to do with group standings or tactics. Pressure from home. Pressure from the host nation. Pressure from a diaspora determined to be heard.
All of it before a ball has even been kicked.
