Up to 35,000 protesters vow to disrupt Iran's World Cup opener against New Zealand in Los Angeles

Up to 35,000 protesters are expected to descend on SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday as Iran open their 2026 World Cup campaign against New Zealand, with activists vowing to make the occasion “hell” for the Iranian squad.

Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian population outside Iran itself, and diaspora activists have accused the national team of “representing the government rather than its people.” Organisers say buses have been arranged from San Diego, Orange County, and across the greater Los Angeles area to bring demonstrators to the ground.

“We’re going to make it hell tomorrow,” one protester said. “We’re going to boo the anthem that is going to play. We’re going to turn our backs during the anthem so we will have our flags showing.”

Plans to bring pre-revolutionary Iranian flags into the stadium could place the team in a particularly difficult position. The Iranian government has stated that the team’s manager bears responsibility for halting matches “if unofficial flags are brought or slogans against the national team are chanted” — a directive that could put coach Amir Ghalenoei in an almost impossible situation should the protests materialise as planned.

Iran’s participation at the tournament had itself been in doubt following the conflict between the United States and Iran, though an agreement to end hostilities was announced on the eve of the squad’s opening fixture. The team arrived in the United States on Sunday.

Ghalenoei, speaking on Friday, sought to project calm ahead of the match. “We don’t pay attention to any of the hype and anything that goes on around us,” he said. “We are not political people… football is separate from politics.”

Striker Mehdi Taremi also attempted to bridge the divide on the eve of the tournament. “We, the players of the national team, we play for every Iranian, be they diaspora or in the country,” he said.

Whether those words will carry weight with the tens of thousands expected to protest outside — and inside — SoFi Stadium on Monday remains to be seen.