Iranian diaspora in Southern California follows the national soccer team through a local club, reflecting complex personal and cultural ties ahead of Iran’s World Cup draw.
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That difference in symbolism also appeared among some fans in how they described their support for the national soccer team and its separation from political views about Iran’s leadership. That divide extends beyond the stadium into communities across Southern California, home to one of the largest Iranian populations outside Iran. Iran played against New Zealand on Monday at Los Angeles Stadium, drawing a near-capacity crowd of 70,108, according to FIFA.
The Sunday before Iran’s World Cup opener against New Zealand, members of Arya FC gathered in the San Fernando Valley for a playoff match in a recreational over-48 league. Co-founder Nader Adeli, who also manages and coaches the team, said Arya FC was formed about a decade ago and fields two squads. He said most players are Iranian-born immigrants, and the team communicates largely in Persian on the field.
Speaking ahead of Iran’s World Cup opener against New Zealand, Vartan Golbodaghians, a longtime Arya FC player, said he supports the national team regardless of political differences.
"I support my country 100%. I support my country team 100%," he said.
"Government is government. Team is team. I don’t care about politics. I support my country and my players.
" Adeli said he still feels a strong emotional connection to Iran despite living most of his life outside the country and remains a supporter of the national team. "I’ve lived 47 years outside of Iran, but I still get goosebumps when I think about Iran, and I support that team," he said. He acknowledged that some in the Iranian community oppose supporting the team but said he expects reactions to shift once matches begin.
"There is a lot of Iranian people that are against it," he said. "But I have told all of them, when Iran scores the first goal against New Zealand, everybody will jump off your seat and start saying, ‘Hooray,’ and support the national team. ""I’m hoping that Iran will have a successful journey in this tournament," he said. "This is probably the first time that we can go beyond the group stage.
""Most of the players that I have talked to are supporting Team Melli apart from any political or religious ideas," he said. "In my opinion, it is the national team and I will be supporting it. " Arya FC is a predominantly Iranian recreational soccer club in Los Angeles. Players spoke about mixed emotions seeing Iran compete in the World Cup.
Amin Jafari, a former soccer player in Iran who now lives in Southern California, said he believes the team should have done more to acknowledge people killed during anti-government protests.
"There is nothing more important than the people who lost their lives for Iran," Jafari said. "I was expecting those players to show some respect to people who died for the country. ""The connection between the players and the people is already gone," he said. Despite those political differences, soccer remains a shared activity for Arya FC players.
"For the 90 minutes, we all put everything aside in our life, and we play football," he said.
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