\u201cI have felt the tension from the first moment we arrived at this World Cup,\u201d said Taremi. \u201cThis kind of tension, it undermines that joy and it undermines the message of Fifa and our people, which is that football brings about peace. I feel like this World Cup could have provided a better atmosphere than it has.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iranian protesters have vowed to disrupt the match to show their displeasure at the brutal ruling regime, with plans to boo the anthem and turn their backs to display currently prohibited pre-revolutionary flags. If that happens, there is a chance the match could be halted<\/a>, with Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei under specific instructions from the country\u2019s government to stop play if pre-revolutionary flags are brandished or if negative chanting is audible.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, as England<\/a> continue to build up to Wednesday\u2019s game <\/a>with Croatia, Jordan Henderson<\/a> has leapt to the defence of teammate Jude Bellingham<\/a>, claiming external criticism is way off the mark<\/a>. \u201cI know a lot gets written in the media and I really find it hard to read sometimes because I just know how big an influence he is on this team, how good a teammate he is off the field,\u201d said Henderson. \u201cAnd what he gives us is just something really special, he really gives us the X-factor in our team. We all know what he can do, and how much we all love him inside the camp, and I suppose that\u2019s the main thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Follow all of the latest from our writers in North America with our live blog below:<\/p>\n World Cup 2026 – live updates<\/a>Iranian protesters vow opening match to show anger at brutal regime’s war with US<\/p>\n Iranian protestors have vowed to put their national team through \u201chell\u201d during this evening\u2019s opening World Cup clash with New Zealand in Los Angeles. <\/p>\n Against the backdrop of the war with the US, protesters against the Iranian regime are planning demonstrations both inside and outside SoFi Stadium, including booing the national anthem and flouting Fifa\u2019s prohibition of the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag in stadiums.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to make it hell\u201d one lady, who bought a ticket to the game along with many of her fellow activists,\u201d told the Daily Mail<\/a>. \u201cThere are buses scheduled to leave from San Diego, Orange County, and different cities in LA to come to the stadium\u2026 we’re going to have hell for them.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to boo the anthem that is going to play. We’re going to turn our backs during the anthem so we will have our flags showing.<\/p>\n \u201cI know Fifa banned it [the flag] but we will make a way to get it in. So we’re going to see this flag, not the terrorist regime\u2019s flag.\u201d<\/p>\n Luke Baker15 June 2026 12:45<\/p>\n <\/a>The surreal possibility hanging over Iran\u2019s perilous World Cup campaign<\/p>\n For the first time in World Cup history, a host nation is at war with one of the participants, while Iran\u2019s opening match against New Zealand this evening looks set to be the site of protests against the regime by Iranian emigrants and Iran\u2019s head coach has been instructed by the government to stop the match if negative chanting against them is heard.<\/p>\n It could be quite the occasion…<\/p>\n Kieran Jackson has delved into the issues surrounding the most surreal and perilous World Cup campaign in history<\/p>\n The hard truth is worth repeating: it is the first time in the World Cup\u2019s 96-year history that a competing nation is at war with a host. Protests are planned at Iran\u2019s opening game in Los Angeles against New Zealand on Monday and, as Kieran Jackson explains, the contest could even be halted<\/p>\n Luke Baker15 June 2026 12:31<\/p>\n <\/a>Harry Kane labelled ‘master of the game’ by Croatia star<\/p>\n Croatia defender Duje Caleta-Car described Harry Kane as a \u201cmaster of the game\u201d ahead of their World Cup clash on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Kane has enjoyed a brilliant season, scoring 66 goals in 56 games for Bayern Munich as they won a second successive Bundesliga title and lifted the German Cup.<\/p>\n Croatia beat England in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals but the Three Lions got revenge at the start of their Euro 2020 campaign, when Kane left a lasting impression on Zlatko Dalic\u2019s side.<\/p>\n \u201cKane impressed me in our match against England at the European Championship, even though he didn\u2019t score,\u201d admitted Caleta-Car.<\/p>\n \u201cHis movement and positioning \u2013 you can clearly see he\u2019s a master of the game and knows exactly what he\u2019s doing.\u201d<\/p>\n Luke Baker15 June 2026 12:15<\/p>\n <\/a>Sweden boss Graham Potter says someone may have bitten his ear during celebrations<\/p>\n An early contender for bizarrest story of the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s just hope Graham Potter\u2019s ear will recover…<\/p>\n Luke Baker15 June 2026 11:57<\/p>\n <\/a>Fifa urged to remove World Cup VAR official over alleged white supremacist hand gesture<\/p>\n Fifa\u2019s discrimination monitor at the World Cup has called for the removal of a video review official after he appeared to make a hand gesture resembling a white supremacist sign.<\/p>\n Shaun Evans, an Australian official, was seen making an “OK” symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg when the official broadcast of Germany’s opening game against Cura\u00e7ao on Sunday cut pre-game to show the team of video review analysts.<\/p>\n Though the game was played in Houston, video officials work in Dallas at the World Cup broadcast centre. The gesture, with thumb and forefinger touched in a circle and other fingers outstretched, was designated a hate symbol by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League in 2019.<\/p>\n Luke Baker15 June 2026 11:50<\/p>\n <\/a>Levi’s change Instagram profile pic after branding covered up at World Cup<\/p>\n Jeans manufacturer Levi\u2019s have changed their Instagram profile picture in a light-hearted response to Fifa covering up their stadium branding at the World Cup.<\/p>\n Levi\u2019s Stadium in San Francisco is hosting matches throughout the tournament but Fifa remove branding when referring to stadiums, so it has been renamed San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.<\/p>\n The governing body even went so far as to put a white cover over the big logo at the venue, with the company jokingly responding in kind on Instagram. <\/p>\n Luke Baker15 June 2026 11:38<\/p>\n <\/a>Mexico fan loses job after making racist gesture at Korean influencer during World Cup match<\/p>\n A Mexican man caught making an offensive gesture during a World Cup match between South Korea and Czech Republic has lost his job after being accused of racism.<\/p>\n A Korean Youtuber was filming a video during the match in the city of Guadalajara on Friday when the man seated behind her, later identified as Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes, looked directly into the camera and pulled the corners of both his eyes in a gesture widely regarded as racist and insulting towards people of Asian descent.<\/p>\n The Youtuber Yoon Su Jin, who also goes by the name Ino Cat, later posted the video on her Instagram. “You travelled across the world for the World Cup,\u201d she wrote, \u201cand experienced racism.\u201d<\/p>\n The video was liked by 511,000 people by last count and commented upon 66,000 times.<\/p>\n Luke Baker15 June 2026 11:24<\/p>\n <\/a>Copa Independent podcast: Germany, Brazil and a tornado at the England camp <\/p>\n The team out in the US are recording the Copa Independent podcast throughout the World Cup and the latest episode sees them dissect Germany\u2019s big win, Brazil\u2019s laboured draw and report on the tornado near the England base in Kansas City<\/p>\n Copa Independent podcast: Germany, Brazil and a tornado at the England camp<\/p>\n Luke Baker15 June 2026 11:11<\/p>\n![\"Protests](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-15T033900Z_718362431_UP1EM6F0A4YX9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-IRN-NZL-PREVIEW.JPG\")
Protests in California on Sunday outside the Iranian World Cup training grounds (Reuters)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2279841096...jpeg\")
The surreal possibility hanging over Iran\u2019s perilous World Cup campaign<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Harry](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-14T210955Z_1368658632_UP1EM6E1MSI7A_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-ENG.JPG\")
Harry Kane has arrived in the US in excellent form (Reuters)<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/01KV1QZMCYWDFNJ2CMRGYNXV9G.jpg\")
(PA)<\/p>\n