Iran Fans ‘Kicked and Spat On’ at World Cup Matches in California
Some women had their hijabs ripped off, rights group says.
by Joshua Carroll
29 June 2026
Women wearing hijabs were among dozens physically assaulted or verbally harassed while attending Iran’s World Cup matches in California earlier this month, a civil rights group has said.
The local branch of the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it received “multiple reports of hate-based verbal harassment and physical assault” against women perceived to be Iranian following the country’s matches against Belgium and New Zealand.
“According to eyewitnesses, scores of agitators appeared to target individuals perceived to be of Iranian origin, attendees holding Iranian or Palestinian flags, and women wearing hijabs,” CAIR-LA said in a statement.
“Attendees reported being spat on, kicked, punched, and pushed to the ground, and women had their hijabs ripped off,” the group added. “Several individuals were further harassed online, reportedly having their personal identifying information – including their phone numbers, home addresses, and places of employment – publicly released.”
CAIR-LA said it had sent a letter to the Los Angeles district attorney’s office, as well as the local police and the city’s World Cup Host Committee, calling for the incidents to be investigated and for “appropriate security measures” to protect fans.
Some of the harassment was perpetrated by pro-monarchy Iranian Americans, according to the New Arab.
The Iranian team’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages were dashed on Sunday by a 3-3 draw between Algeria and Austria. The team faced discrimination by US authorities, who imposed visa restrictions that forced players to fly to Mexico after every game, denying them recovery and training time.
Captain Mehdi Taremi said it had been a “disaster World Cup” for his team. He told reporters after a game against Egypt that Fifa president Gianni Infantino visited the team and promised to help resolve some of their issues, but that many of the problems persisted.
“We always complain about those things, but no one helps,” he said.
Joshua Carroll is a writer and journalist.