Iran at the 2026 World Cup playing inside the country bombing them

Iran's national soccer team opened the 2026 World Cup on Monday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood — flying in from a Tijuana training base because the country they represent has been at war with the country hosting the tournament since February. Outside the gates, a 21-year-old protester laid the Islamic Republic's flag on the pavement for people to walk on, because a California judge had just ruled it was the only Iranian flag FIFA legally allowed inside. The team played its opener roughly 18 hours after Trump announced an initial US-Iran ceasefire deal — which neither captain Mehdi Taremi nor head coach Amir Ghalenoei addressed at their pre-match press conference.