On Sunday, Iranian soccer players arrived in Tijuana, which is just a stone’s throw from the California border, as they prepare for a World Cup filled with political tension. They landed after an overnight flight from Turkey, where they’d been training for the tournament over the past three weeks.
The team touched down in the Mexican city, ready to set up their base for the Cup, shortly after 5 a.m. Their arrival came after U.S. officials finally approved visas for the players on Friday—just ten days ahead of their first match, which added to the ongoing uncertainty.
During their arrival, military and police provided an escort, while federation officials acknowledged the troops with brief waves before heading to the Marriott Hotel in Tijuana, as reported.
Iran’s schedule includes a match against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, followed by another against Belgium on June 21. Then they’ll move to Seattle for a key game against Egypt on June 26. But the road to North America was fraught with complications.
Abolfazl Pasandide, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, revealed that the Iranian soccer federation had to relocate the team’s base camp from Arizona to Mexico at the last minute. This change stemmed from doubts around U.S. visa approvals and concerns that the team’s activities would face restrictions on American soil.
Despite the late visa approvals for players, several others including important management and staff members were not so fortunate—the Iranian Football Federation reported that about 15 members of their 70-person delegation remain barred from entering the U.S.
The U.S. State Department confirmed that they had granted the necessary visas for the Iranian contingent to participate in the World Cup. However, they also emphasized that they wouldn’t allow anyone to exploit this process to bring in potential threats to the country.
Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj expressed his frustration at the delays, accusing the United States of treating them unfairly. He conveyed uncertainty about how long this obstruction might last, implying a disparity in how teams are treated.
This situation has transformed what would typically be a straightforward arrival for the World Cup into a significant diplomatic issue. Abbas Milani, an Iranian studies expert at Stanford, noted the pressures on players—not just to perform, but to navigate the complex atmosphere surrounding them.
If both Iran and the U.S. emerge as second-place finishers in their group, they could potentially clash in the knockout stage, adding another layer of scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Iraq is facing its own challenges as the tournament approaches. Aymen Hussein, a forward for the Iraqi national team, was detained and questioned for almost seven hours upon his arrival in Chicago early Saturday morning before being allowed in. However, the team’s photographer was not as lucky and was denied entry after a lengthy detention.
Iraq returns to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years, creating an atmosphere of excitement but also concern as they navigate their travel challenges.
