Amir Ghalenoei, the Iran head coach, has claimed his team was told to ‘leave immediately’ after their draw against New Zealand

A day after President Trump announced a tentative peace deal, Iran took the field in front of thousands of conflicted fans and played to a 2-2 tie with New Zealand.

The Iranian team may want to unite people but what the game with New Zealand revealed is just how divided many Iranians remain, writes BBC North America correspondent Shaimaa Khalil.

Iran’s soccer stars quietly crossed into the US on Sunday, arriving in LA a day before its opening 2026 World Cup match as extraordinary security measures surrounded the squad’s hotel. Exclusive photos obtained by the California Post show buses and vehicles emblazoned with Iranian flags and team insignia parked outside the squad’s pad,

For Iranian immigrants, many whose lives are shaped by exile, revolution and political upheaval, rooting for Team Melli has never been straightforward.

Iran's football team has spent years caught between politics and sport, but in Los Angeles most fans were willing to rally behind Team Melli once again

Iran's national men's football team arrived in the United States on Sunday, June 15.