Wearing a Mexico national team jersey and running on little sleep, 35-year-old Alan Romero left Tijuana at 4 a.m. Sunday and drove north to Los Angeles with a goal that had little to do with his own country.
Romero was among hundreds of Mexican soccer fans who packed SoFi Stadium to support Iran in its 2026 FIFA World Cup match against Belgium, creating one of the tournament’s more unexpected alliances.
Although Mexico was not involved in the contest, large sections of the crowd cheered loudly for Iran throughout the match. When Team Melli appeared to score before having the goal ruled out for offside, groans and whistles echoed around the stadium.
“Iran is our second team in this World Cup,” Romero said.
The atmosphere reflected the strong connection many Mexican supporters in Southern California felt toward the Iranian side, particularly after controversy surrounding the team’s travel arrangements ahead of the match.
Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi acknowledged the backing after the game, thanking Mexican fans for their support and expressing hope they would continue to stand behind Iran in the remainder of the tournament.
“We’re looking forward to the next two matches, and we hope they continue supporting us like this,” Taremi said. “The support from Mexican fans has been incredible.”
The scene surprised some observers but was welcomed by many members of Los Angeles’ large Iranian-American community.
Among them was Iranian-American YouTuber Art Eftekhari, whose channel focuses on Iran’s national team. The 44-year-old said the support from Mexican fans helped shift attention away from the controversies surrounding Team Melli.
“The support from Mexican fans has been amazing,” Eftekhari said. “It helped us forget about everything happening outside the field.”
The reaction from the Iranian diaspora was more complex. While many fans inside the stadium cheered enthusiastically for the players, some also expressed opposition to Iran’s government by booing during the national anthem.
Eftekhari said he tried not to focus on the political divisions.
“I just focused on the game,” he said. “The warmth from Mexican supporters made us forget what was happening beyond the stadium.”
For some Latino fans, the decision to support Iran stemmed from a belief that the players had been caught in political disputes beyond their control.
“I think they’ve been treated unfairly,” said Nikkole Martinez, a 24-year-old Mexican-American fan from the Los Angeles area.
“At the end of the day, they’re just young people trying to play the sport they love. It has nothing to do with their government. They should be treated fairly and equally, just like everyone else.”
Iran’s delegation complained earlier in the week that Belgium’s team was permitted to enter Los Angeles on Friday while Iranian players were not allowed to arrive until Saturday, leaving them with less preparation time before the match.
The dispute became a talking point among supporters who felt the circumstances placed Iran at a disadvantage.
Jaen Pina, a 25-year-old fan who also traveled from Tijuana for the match, said the situation influenced his decision to back Team Melli.
“The Belgian players were well-rested, while Iran wasn’t,” Pina said. “That was a huge disadvantage.”
Pina admitted he was unfamiliar with most of Iran’s squad but knew the team was facing one of Europe’s strongest sides.
His support, he said, was rooted less in soccer allegiance and more in sympathy for what he viewed as unequal treatment.
“Honestly, it’s unfair,” he said. “Why would they do that? That’s why I’m supporting them. This World Cup has become political.”
The backing from Mexican fans transformed what might otherwise have been a neutral-site match into something closer to a home atmosphere for Iran.
In a city long shaped by both Mexican and Iranian communities, the show of solidarity underscored how international tournaments can create unexpected connections across cultures and nationalities.
For at least one evening in Los Angeles, hundreds of Mexican supporters set aside traditional loyalties and adopted Iran as their team, turning a World Cup match into a display of shared support that extended well beyond the game itself.
