LOS ANGELES — In the 63rd minute of their opening match of the 2026 World Cup on Monday, Iran midfielder Mohammad Mohebbi leapt into the air to meet Ramin Rezaeian’s wonderfully whipped cross and guide his header in off the far post, giving New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe no chance. The goal was decisive, the fourth goal in a 2-2 draw, and it sent shock waves through the 70,108-strong crowd at SoFi Stadium.
Just over 9 miles from where the match was being played in Inglewood, Iran fans at a watch party near Westwood were just as jubilant. They were gathered hosted at Meymuni Cafe to watch Iran’s first match, cheering, chanting and coping with all the drama that comes when you watch your team in the World Cup.
Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian community outside of Iran, and this part of the city is appropriately nicknamed “Tehrangeles.” Iranian Americans have found themselves in a conflicted position due to circumstances around the team. The U.S. and Israel began a war against Iran on Feb. 28, and the national team’s participation in the World Cup had been in doubt ever since. But, as Team Melli played its opener in L.A., watch parties in the area felt a little closer to home.
“I always remind people: Persians are a very, very important part of the fabric of Los Angeles’ society,” Shaheen Ferdowsi, founder of Meymuni Cafe, told ESPN. “I don’t even know what L.A. would look like without Persians.
“I think something that’s really cool is that here in L.A., we’re so proud of being Iranian and other Iranians who come to L.A. from other parts of the U.S. are always so happy to see this different pride and being Iranian.”
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Meymuni Cafe, known for its lavashak (Persian fruit leather) smoothie, sold tickets for reserved seating and walk-ins with a maximum capacity of about 75 people. Ferdowsi is no stranger to hosting events in his bustling space, and will do the same for each of Iran’s World Cup games. Their next is on Father’s Day, deemed as “BYOB — Bring Your Own Baba.”
“My main goal and my main mission has always been to serve as a unifying symbol for the Iranian community,” Ferdowsi said. “And just given everything that we’ve been through this year and how devastating things have been, I think Meymuni Cafe has kind of served as that hub for the majority of people who follow us and are fans of us.”
Iran is the first team to participate in a World Cup hosted by a country with which it was at war. The team has had to face unique and ongoing challenges due to this unprecedented situation.
The team requested to move its three group matches outside of the U.S. — it has two in L.A. and one in Seattle — but was denied. Iran’s base camp moved from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, weeks before the tournament. In a last-minute change to its travel plans, the team was forced to travel back to Tijuana immediately after the New Zealand match instead of the following day.
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It set up a unique atmosphere in L.A. with several hundred Iranian Americans protesting the Iranian government prematch outside the stadium. The national anthem prompted cheers and boos from those in attendance, while some even actively cheered against the team during the game. Flags of Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution could be seen within the stadium, despite FIFA‘s efforts to ban them. However, once the game kicked off, a vast majority of the noise turned to supporting the team.
“It was an incredible atmosphere in the game, all 90 minutes,” Iran striker Mehdi Taremi said postmatch. “It was like at home for us.”
At the café watch party, fans rallied behind the players and acknowledged the challenges they face.
“It’s great to host them. I wish it was under better circumstances. I wish they felt more welcome, you know,” Benyamin Dabiri told ESPN. “It sucks that they can’t stay the night. That four-hour bus drive, I mean, I can tell it’s f—ing with them psychologically. It’s messing with them a little bit.”
Dabiri was born in Tehran and moved to the U.S. at 8 years old. He feel a connection with the Iran players. “Those are our cousins, our brothers,” he said.
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That was the prevailing sentiment among those watching, and it spread beyond its walls as the game progressed. A group fitness center is attached to the café, and workouts began at kickoff and halftime of the match. Occasionally, people would push their faces on the glass door to peep the score — often after yells were heard following big moments.
By halftime, only some standing room remained. The chance to support Iran while it played in their backyard became too good to pass up for Iranian Americans.
“L.A. has the biggest Iranian population outside of Iran,” Pourya Banaee, who moved from Iran to Los Angeles at 9 years old, told ESPN. “So it’s just honestly a surreal experience supporting them and watching them play. It’s super cool.”
Banaee’s friend Nima Malek emphasized how surreal it is to have Iran play in Los Angeles, while presenting it as a huge opportunity. He wished Iran’s participation in the region came under a different situation, but posited that the team would come out more motivated because of it. The results could be surprisingly positive — especially in L.A.
“A majority of the time, they’re underdogs and no one really expects anything out of them,” Malek, who was born and raised in L.A. and visits Iran every four or five years to see family, told ESPN. “But I think with Tehrangeles here, it’s a rare opportunity.”
Tehrangeles made its presence felt at Meymuni Cafe. Rezaeian’s opening goal led to an “insane” energy, Dabiri said. When Mohebbi scored, the place was filled with cheers and chants. As the match remained in the balance for the final half-hour, that excitement turned to tension. All that mattered at the moment for those there was supporting Team Melli.
“These guys are just trying to play soccer,” Dabiri said. “It’s a different thing than any political thing.
“They don’t have control over whatever political circumstances they’re under. They just have to deal with the cards they’re dealt with and play the best football they can. So, as Iranians, I think we should all just be supporting them and hoping for the best.”
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Banaee called it “amazing” to have the local support of Iranian Americans in Los Angeles. Rooting for the sports teams is “part of our blood,” Malek said.
Following the team is a way for the community to stay connected to their homeland. That’s something Ferdowsi — and surely other Persian cafés hosting watch parties across Tehrangeles — hopes to encourage.
“As a small café here, founded by someone Westwood born and raised, we’re just happy to bring the community together,” Ferdowsi said. “I hope that people just come together because of this game.”
With group matches against Belgium and Egypt to come on June 21 and 27, Tehrangeles have at least two more chances to unite behind Team Melli.
