Iran

Iran enters Group G with Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, making their consistent presence at recent World Cups a matter of genuine national pride. For fans in Tehran and across Iran (Iran Standard Time, UTC+3:30, with daylight saving bringing it to UTC+4:30 in June), every West Coast kickoff falls in the middle of the Iranian night.

The Group G opener on June 15 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles sees Iran face New Zealand at 18:00 Pacific, which translates to 06:30 on June 16 in Tehran (Iran Summer Time is UTC+4:30). A pre-dawn alarm for the opening match. The second fixture on June 21 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles against Belgium at 12:00 Pacific becomes 00:30 on June 22 in Tehran - just after midnight for what will be Iran’s most significant group stage challenge. The final group match on June 26 at Lumen Field in Seattle against Egypt at 20:00 Pacific translates to 08:30 on June 27 in Tehran. A morning kickoff.

Iran’s half-hour offset from standard UTC intervals (UTC+3:30 in winter, UTC+4:30 in summer) means every timezone calculation for Iranian fans involves fractions that complicate the arithmetic. For a Los Angeles match at noon Pacific, Tehran fans are watching at 12:30 or 00:30 depending on whether the calculation is done before or after accounting for daylight saving.

The 2022 Qatar World Cup placed Iran at relatively convenient viewing times for Tehran given the regional proximity. The Los Angeles and Seattle venues in 2026 represent a more challenging shift. Fans in Tehran will need to commit to some late-night or early-morning viewing, but the tradition of gathering regardless of the clock is well established.