For Iran’s diaspora, a tough World Cup call: To support the national team or protest – or both?

Iran’s team faces a hostile reception from the US government and some of its brethren in the diaspora. Yet others hope the event will trump politics — for now.

By: Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, Arizona State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 11, 2026

Words: 1,394

Last Updated: 17 hours, 27 minutes ago

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By Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, Arizona State University

When Iran’s national soccer team walks onto American soil this summer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it will do so against the backdrop of an Iranian government crackdown against protesters in January, an ongoing war launched by the U.S. and Israel in February, and a four-month digital blackout affecting some 92 million people. It has left many Iranian fans feeling conflicted about who exactly they’ll …

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