Iran's national soccer team arrives in Mexico ahead of the FIFA World Cup
According to Iran's ambassador to Mexico, the team is limited to entering and leaving the U.S. on the same day as their matches
Iran's national soccer team arrived in Tijuana early Sunday after an overnight flight from Turkey, where they had been training for three weeks. This as a diplomatic dispute over US visas cast a shadow over their World Cup preparations. The tournament marks the first time in the competition's history that a host nation is set to receive a team from a country with which it is at war.
US officials confirmed that visas had been issued to all players and what they described as "necessary support staff," but Iranian state media and federation officials said 15 members of the broader delegation had been denied entry. Those who have been denied entry include federation executive director Mehdi Kharati, secretary general Hedayat Mombini, and media director Mohsen Motamedkia. Iran's football federation called the decision "non-sporting and completely political" and said it would take the matter to FIFA.
Adding to the tension, Iran's ambassador to Mexico said the squad had been informed that players must enter and leave US soil on the same day as each match, a condition that would complicate preparations and potentially conflict with FIFA rules requiring coaches to hold a press conference at the match venue the day before each game. The team's own spokesman, however, told Iranian state TV the visas were multiple-entry and would allow the squad to arrive two days before each game.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers the US would not permit anyone linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to enter as part of the Iranian delegation. Iran's football federation president, Mehdi Taj, a former IRGC commander, was denied a visa for the tournament draw in Washington in December.
Iran is scheduled to face New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles, Belgium on June 21 in California, and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle. The team relocated its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana in late May due to visa uncertainty and what Iranian officials described as a desire to minimize the squad's presence on US soil. Iran's ambassador to Mexico said the team's participation reflected Tehran's broader desire for peace.