2026 World Cup: Iran and Iran’s stance on politics and football is intertwined.

Outside, songs against the regime and the group. Inside, cheers for the players. Cheer when Iran scores a goal They came from behind twice to draw 2-2. Against New Zealand.

There were thousands of Iranian flags in the racks. They look the same from a distance. They approached and told another story.

Some carried the official flag of the Islamic Republic. Others depicted a lion and a sun. They all wore the colors of Iran.

This is what the football players protested against Iran.

“It’s complicated,” said Samaneh, an Iranian-American who has lived in the United States for ten years.

I am here to support Iran, not the regime. I miss my country.

She said she cried when the Iranian national anthem was played.

“My dad is here, but my mom is stuck in Iran because of paperwork and President Trump’s travel ban. I worry about her all the time, I’m afraid to go back and visit.”

The contradictions were apparent throughout the game.

When New Zealand took the lead, some anti-regime spectators celebrated by waving lion and sun flags.

Outside the stadium, politics quickly returned to focus.

“We don’t want a deal,” Nini says Recent agreement between Washington and Tehran to end the war between America and Iran.

“The people of Iran deserve regime change. People are being massacred on the streets of Tehran.”

“We can’t normalize what happened in January with sports,” said Farima, wearing a T-shirt with a lion and sun logo.

This group does not represent the people of Iran.

Nearby, Quiroche stands with a noose around his neck.

“It is a sign to stop the killing of Iranian heroes and innocent citizens,” he said.

Many here say that the players on the field do not represent the regime, but the people.

The players will not accept that behavior.

Before the match, striker Mehdi Taremi said that the team plays for Iranians at home and abroad, not involved in politics.

Some fans who entered the stadium also agreed.

Despite the tension between his adopted and native countries, Iranian-American Mostafa believes that football should unite people.

“Football is about friendship, cultural bonding and putting politics aside,” he added as he entered the stadium.