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Anticipation is building outside Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, where Iran is set to open its World Cup against New Zealand tonight.
Eager soccer fans are trickling into the area in Inglewood, Calif., ahead of what’s expected to be an exciting and dramatic match.
Meanwhile, across the street from the stadium, protestors have begun making their way to the protest zone, a closed-off street where hundreds — if not more — will gather before and during the match.
This isn’t an ordinary match. It’s the first time Team Iran will play on U.S. soil against the backdrop of the ongoing war. In fact, this is the first time in World Cup history that a host country has been actively at war with a qualifying nation.
It’s also happening in a city with a population of more than 230,000 Iranians, according to the Pew Research Center — considered the highest concentration in the world outside Iran.
Wearing a t-shirt with a lion and the sun — the symbol shown on the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag that now represents resistance against the Islamic regime — Fattaneh Judge is helping organize the protest.
For Hakimi and others protesting, it’s difficult to separate the Iranian national team from the state. She said their message is simple.
“We want to show the world what we want: we want freedom for Iran. We don’t want the Islamic Republic of Iran to stay in Iran anymore,” said Hakimi, who arrived in the U.S. with her son as refugees from Iran in 2001.
She bought last-minute tickets to the match tonight in hopes that she can wear her T-shirt inside, despite FIFA’s plans to continue its ban on the flag and related apparel in World Cup stadiums, claiming the symbolism violates its code of conduct.
“This is what we want to show the world. This is a Persian Iranian flag.”
Conflicted feelings amid the war
Ali Razian flew in from Toronto last night to watch the match with his sister and niece, who came in from San Diego. He has lived in Canada for 25 years, and couldn’t resist the trip to Los Angeles to attend the match.
He’s here cheering on Team Melli — “national team” in Farsi — but there’s no trace of it. He isn’t wearing a jersey, or even the team colours.
“I didn’t bring anything because I’m afraid that I can’t bring it inside,” he said.
Other than answering more questions than expected at customs, Razian said he didn’t have trouble crossing the border into the U.S. But that wasn’t the case for everyone. Some of his friends who are in the military were turned away at the border and couldn’t make the match, he said.
It’s part of why he has mixed feelings about watching his country take the world stage tonight. His parents, brothers and sister also still live in Iran, and he said the cost of living there has surged.
“We hope that Iran wins the game, but we are worried about the people in Iran.”
As he enters the stadium today, Razian said he will be thinking about his family, and hoping the U.S. and Iran soon sign their deal to end the war.
The match kicks off at 6 p.m. local time.
