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The coach says the team wants to make all Iranians happy.
BY Mahnoor | 16-06-2026
LOS ANGELES:
Iran’s soccer team arrived in the U.S. for their first World Cup on Sunday. They landed at Los Angeles International Airport and held a press conference on the same day a peace deal between Iran and the U.S. was announced.
The team flew from Tijuana, Mexico, where they had been training. They received a loud, cheering sendoff before their first game against New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on Monday.
“I am very happy to represent the great and strong nation of Iran,” said Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei during a press conference.
“I hope football brings joy and helps different cultures and countries connect.”
The team’s Group G match against New Zealand will be played during a tense time, as the U.S. is at war with Iran and a new peace deal was just announced.
This adds pressure to the game between two countries that have never played each other in a World Cup. Because the U.S. and Israel began attacking Iran in late February, the Iranian team moved their training camp from Arizona to Mexico late last month.
Iran must now travel from Mexico to the U.S. for all three of their group games. Coach Ghalenoei said that traveling and some team officials being denied U.S. visas have hurt the team.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on social media that the U.S. and Iran will sign a peace deal this Friday in Switzerland.
Stop this government
As the team flew to LA, a group of protesters gathered near Los Angeles Stadium to demand democracy in Iran and protest against its government.
Their signs said, ‘No Shah – No Mullah in Iran – Iranians want change.’ On a busy street corner in Inglewood, people displayed photos of athletes who they say died after being arrested by the Iranian government.
Mojgan Ramezani, a 56-year-old Iranian American at the rally, was deeply angry about the January protests in Iran. Rights groups say the government crackdown killed thousands, or perhaps even tens of thousands, of people.
Ramezani said, “They are holding their own people hostage.”
Hassan Haddadi, 70, said he is upset because most governments have not done much to help change Iran.
‘We want to inform Western countries and hope they do more than just speak out, so they can help end this government,’ Haddadi said.
Ghalenoei said the players and coaches are not involved in politics.
He added, “We are here to play football and represent the respectful people of Iran, both those living in Iran and those living abroad.”
Mexico supports you
Earlier in Tijuana, crowds stood five people deep on a crowded sidewalk outside the Iranian team’s hotel. They cheered “Team Melli”—which means “national team” in Persian—as the players walked from the hotel to their bus.
Many players waved and smiled at the fans, while some staff members recorded the moment on their phones.
One supporter held a yellow sign with black words that said: “Iran, you will never walk alone. Mexico is with you.
” A young boy sitting on someone’s shoulders held an official 2026 World Cup sticker album, open to the page showing the Iran team.
At one time, the crowd sang in Spanish, “Iran, brother, you are Mexican now.”
The president of Iran’s soccer federation, Mehdi Taj, stood outside the hotel while the players left. Many fans followed the bus as it drove down the street.
There are very few Iranians in Tijuana, only about 20 people. This is much smaller than the Iranian community in Los Angeles, which is the largest group outside of Iran.
Tens of thousands of Iranian Americans live in Los Angeles, creating a famous neighborhood often called ‘Tehrangeles.’
This is the first World Cup since it began in 1930 where the host country is welcoming a nation it is currently fighting in a war.
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