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 squads

It was raining goals on Sunday with Germany and Sweden both impressing with big wins. Today, though, soccer takes somewhat of a backseat with Iran set to play its first match of this year’s World Cup.

Follow live updates and latest news from FIFA World Cup Day 5 as Spain takes on Cape Verde and Iran plays in the U.S. amid the peace deal. Analysis, highlights and key moments.

The two nations have met just twice before this fixture, with their most recent encounter coming in 2003 when Iran defeated New Zealand in the AFC-OFC Challenge Cup, a short-lived biennial tournament

Iran's IRGC allegedly used soccer stadiums and clubs to spy on citizens through facial-recognition cameras and ID tracking, according to an NCRI report.

Roughly 18,852 World Cup tickets earmarked for Iran's fans were revoked just a few days before matches begin, according to the Iran soccer federation.

Iran will play its opening World Cup game against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday, but up to 35,000 protesters plan to boo the anthem and wave pre-revolutionary flags

By Ed White INGLEWOOD, California, June 14 (Reuters) - Iran's coach and their key player said the national team will strive to bring joy and unity to Iranian people around the world, despite war and other tensions making their World Cup adventure uniquely challenging.