California is home to more than 350,000 people of Iranian descent. One of them is Sheila Rossi, whose mother was Iranian and father American. She is the mayor of South Pasadena, which is part of Los Angeles County.
There is a lot of football fever here, people are really looking forward to it, she says.
But unlike other migrant groups, the diaspora's view of "Team Melli," as the Iranian national team is called, is more complex.
The diaspora has been divided over the past six months in a way I haven't seen before, she says.
“Difficult time”
First, the widespread protests in Iran were suppressed with violence. Then the US and Israel attacked Iran.
There were a lot of emotions that surfaced there, and the war complicated it even more. Some have been for it, some against it. It has been a very difficult time.
The football team is not shying away from politics either. Star player Sardar Azmoun was reportedly fired for angering the regime with a picture on social media. The international football federation FIFA has also banned Iran's previous flag with a lion and sun from stadiums, as it is seen as political, which has irritated many Iranians.
Iranian players have expressed opposition to the war in various ways, using different symbols.
"The question is whether the players represent Iran and whether that is something to be proud of, or whether they represent the regime," says Rossi.
As an Iranian football fan in the United States, you are forced to deal with the issues, whether you want to or not.
I think many will protest outside the stadiums, but many will also go to the games, and some will boycott, she says.
“Defiant pride”
Rossi notes that Iran's participation stirs up a lot of emotions. She is aware that her background means she is seen as more than just a local politician.
"I always get teary-eyed when I bring this up. I lived in Iran during the hostage crisis and was seen as an American there. Then I moved here and have experienced discrimination against the Iranian-American population. I have always felt a kind of defiant pride in my background," she says, and continues:
"We had finally started to see the Iranian diaspora step out of the shadows and show their pride openly. That's why it's hard for me to see this division," she says.
Iran will face New Zealand in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, local time in Sweden. Sheila Rossi will probably gather other Iranians to watch the match on TV. Iran could face the United States in the knockout matches.
Who will I root for? That's a really tough question. I'm torn. I hope it's a fantastic match.
1.73 million people born in Iran live outside their homeland, three times as many as in 1990.
In 2024, 795,000 Iranian-Americans lived in the United States, and nine out of ten are American citizens.
The group includes people born in Iran, those of Iranian descent, those listed “Iranian” under “race” or people living with a parent in one of the previously mentioned categories. 353,000 of them live in California, half of whom live in Los Angeles County.
Source: UCLA
