Iran's national football team has arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, for final World Cup preparations after visa delays forced a training base shift from Arizona. The team faces New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in the group stage, with a potential matchup against the United States clouded by political statements and ongoing conflict.
Iran's national football team arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday morning for final preparations before the upcoming World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The squad touched down at around 5:05 a.m. after flying directly from Antalya, Turkey, on a private jet. Ehsan Hajsafi, a veteran midfielder, was the first player to disembark, leading his teammates-wearing blue blazers over white T‑shirts-through a brief security and immigration check involving Mexican officials and detection dogs before they boarded a waiting bus.
At the airport entrance, a small crowd of about 20 Iranian fans greeted the team, waving national flags and showing support despite the complex circumstances surrounding their participation. The team's presence in Mexico marks a logistical shift caused by the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, which has complicated travel plans.
Originally, Iran intended to base its training in Tucson, Arizona, but delays in securing U.S. visas for several key staff members forced a relocation to Tijuana, a border city adjacent to California. According to Iranian state television, as of Saturday, some members of the delegation were still awaiting U.S. visas, including Hedayat Mombeini, secretary‑general of the Iranian Football Federation, and vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi.
These holdups raised concerns about the team's ability to enter the United States for its matches, though FIFA has assured that all players will receive the necessary documentation to compete. Iran is scheduled to play its first two group matches at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, facing New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21. The final group game will be against Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
A potential Round of 32 clash with the United States on July 3 in Arlington, Texas, looms if both teams finish second in their respective groups. The political dimensions of such a matchup have been highlighted by past statements from U.S. officials; in March, President Donald Trump suggested Iran's participation might be "inappropriate" and expressed concerns about player safety, to which the Iranian federation retorted that "no one can exclude" them from the tournament.
Iran's squad itself has been shaped by the war: star forward Sardar Azmoun was dropped in March over a social‑media post deemed critical of the government, and the final roster includes 17 home‑based players whose domestic league has been suspended since February. Despite early doubts raised by Iran's sports minister, who said participation would "not be possible," the federation confirmed in May that the team would travel, insisting that all individuals-including those with past service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-obtain visas.
The team will train in Tijuana before crossing into the United States ahead of their opening match
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