Why Iran protests are taking place as demonstrators chant and set to break World Cup rule

Need to know

1. The protests are taking place against the backdrop of the US-Israel war with Iran, which began in February 2026 following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, as well as a deadly crackdown on dissent by the Iranian government in January.
2. Iran are playing their opening match against New Zealand on June 15 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, near Los Angeles. The Los Angeles area is home to the largest concentration of people of Iranian ancestry outside of Iran (often referred to as “Tehrangeles”).
3. Iranian Americans are torn. While many love the national soccer team and see it as representing the Iranian people, others feel they cannot support a team playing under the flag of the Islamic Republic, believing the players are pressured to adhere to the government’s positions.
4. Demonstrators gathered outside SoFi Stadium before the match, chanting slogans such as “Down with terrorists” and holding signs calling for freedom and democracy in Iran.
5. A major point of contention is the use of the pre-revolutionary Iranian flags, which feature a lion and sun motif. This flag is widely used by protesters as a symbol of resistance to the current regime in Tehran. Vendors were even seen selling merchandise bearing this emblem outside the stadium.
6. FIFA has prohibited the lion and sun flag under its code of conduct, which bars items of a “political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature.” Iran’s team had reportedly threatened to halt play if unofficial flags or slogans were allowed inside.
7. The Iranian American Institute for Voices for Liberty filed a lawsuit in California seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent FIFA from banning the pre-revolutionary flag, arguing it violated constitutional free-speech protections.
8. Just hours before Iran’s opening match, a Los Angeles judge upheld FIFA’s ban, ruling that enforcing a change in stadium protocol at the last minute would be too burdensome for staff.

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