Iran’s national team and its leading player said on Sunday, June 14, that they want to use the 2026 World Cup to bring joy and a sense of unity to Iranians at home and in the diaspora, as the team arrives in the United States against the backdrop of a recent ceasefire agreement linked to the war between Iran and the United States and Israel. Forward Mehdi Taremi said the squad respects all Iranians, inside the country and abroad, and intends to represent national unity on football’s biggest stage. Coach Amir Ghalenoei echoed that message, saying the team is used to turning hardship into opportunity and that its only goal is to make the people happy, leaving the rest to God.
Iran will open its tournament campaign against New Zealand on Monday, June 15, at Los Angeles Stadium, with the match scheduled for 10 p.m. and broadcast by CazéTV. The squad arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday, marking its first entry into the United States during this World Cup. The team’s trip has unfolded amid intense political tension, including a war that began at the end of February after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Tehran. U.S. President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that a peace agreement is expected to be signed at a ceremony in Switzerland on Friday, June 19.
The Iran-New Zealand match carries unusual significance because it comes amid the conflict and the newly announced path toward peace, adding a political dimension to a sporting meeting between two countries that have never faced each other at a World Cup. Iran had already moved its World Cup training base from a sports complex in Arizona to Mexico late last month after the joint strikes on Iranian territory.
Security and protest activity were visible around the team’s arrival. As the Iranian squad flew to Los Angeles, a group of demonstrators advocating democracy in Iran gathered near Los Angeles Stadium. Their signs rejected both the shah and the clerical leadership, calling for regime change by Iranians. The protest area also displayed photos and posters of athletes whom the demonstrators said died after being arrested by the Iranian government.
Support for the team was also evident in Mexico. Earlier in Tijuana, fans lined the sidewalk outside Iran’s hotel and cheered “Team Melli,” the Persian phrase for the national team, as players boarded their bus. One supporter held a yellow sign reading: “Iran, you will never walk alone. Mexico is with you.”
The scene underscores how the 2026 World Cup has become more than a sporting event for Iran, with the team seeking to project solidarity and hope while navigating a highly charged international backdrop. For the players and coaching staff, the message remained focused on football, national pride, and the desire to offer comfort to millions of Iranians watching from around the world.
