Neither Netanyahu nor Trump came closest to achieving total victory over Iran. That distinction belongs to Elijah Just of New Zealand's national team. Twice he put his side ahead, and twice he watched the Iranians erase the lead and salvage a 2-2 draw. No matter. We came for the politics and left happy because of the soccer. An excellent match.
I arrived at the stadium in Los Angeles four hours before Iran's first match of the 2026 World Cup, and quite a few Iranians were already there. Not from Tehran, but from sunny California. Despite calls to avoid protests, almost everyone arrived with the Lion and Sun flag that predates the revolution, making it clear that before sports, they had come to make a statement.
"I came to support New Zealand. We are against the Iranian national team because it was sent by the government, not by the people," explained Farhad Jafardzadeh, who was holding a combined flag of pre-revolutionary Iran, Israel and the US. "During the anthem, we will boo and make sure the boos reach all the way to Iran."
In general, it seemed that if Netanyahu were running to be prime minister of the Iranian exile community, he could form a coalition all by himself. "I want to tell Bibi, 'Finish the job,'" Ali Reza Azizi, who took part in a protest outside the stadium, told me. "He's the only one we trust."
The Israeli dilemma
Everyone was worried about the anthems, no less than about the match. What exactly do you do? Even as an Israeli, I asked myself whether I should show respect or protest. After all, we sat in shelters because of these scum. People lost their lives, their homes. I stood. Reluctantly, but still, it was the World Cup. We always wanted to separate sports from politics.
I have to admit that alongside the piercing boos and the people who stood with their backs to the field, there were also those who sang, and I noticed Islamic Republic flags here and there. There are still those who stand with the ayatollahs' regime.
They rallied behind the team
From the opening seconds, it looked as if Iran had arrived charged up. A physical, technical team. But it was actually the New Zealanders, led by Chris Wood, an old-school English-style striker, who took the lead in the seventh minute with a fine goal inside the box by Just, of Scottish side Motherwell.
In the minutes that followed, even the Iranians who had come to boo appeared to change their minds and decided to get behind the team. More and more chants of "Iran, Iran" were heard, and coach Amir Ghalenoei noticed it as well, saying after the match: "The crowd was with us, and I'm happy about that. That's our greatest achievement."
The team responded to the support with a shot off the post, followed by an equalizer from Ramin Rezaeian in the 32nd minute, a deft little finish that slipped past the goalkeeper and sent the crowd into the air. This time I stayed seated. There's a limit to sportsmanship.
The Iranians wanted it, wanted it so badly. Every shot, every miss, they took to heart, especially when they heard the disappointed crowd. Then Just spoiled the party again. Maybe he's an Israeli Mossad agent? Nine minutes after the start of the second half, Wood found him with a one-two, and like a true finisher, he put away his second. I have a feeling Motherwell will soon be too small for him.
The Iranians did not let their crowd down. Rezaeian, who scored the first goal, set up the second in the 64th minute with a cross, and Mohammad Mohebi headed it beautifully into the net. 2-2.
It ended with handshakes and hugs, but Iran's coach also had complaints, though not about either of the teams. "It's strange. They delayed our arrival in Los Angeles, and now they are forcing us to leave immediately after the match. It hurts our preparations for the tournament. I had to substitute players because of injuries, not for any other reason."
The devil was not so terrible. It only proved that it knows how to play soccer.
