Iranian soccer team arrives in Mexico for World Cup amid US visa issues

Source: The Hill

06/07/26 5:43 PM ET


The Iranian men’s soccer team arrived in Mexico on Sunday, with the FIFA World Cup just four days away. The Iranian squad posted to Instagram photos of the team, dressed in matching white shirts and blue blazers, boarding a plane in Antalya, Turkey, on Saturday. The team has been training in Turkey ahead of the World Cup, which the U.S., Canada, and Mexico are hosting.

On Sunday afternoon, the team posted photos of players deplaning in Tijuana, Mexico. The caption to the collage states, “hi Mexico.” Iran was slated to train in Arizona before pivoting due to visa concerns; in May, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum offered to host the team.

Iran, part of Group G, will face off against New Zealand in its first group-stage match in Inglewood, Calif., on June 15. The team will then play Belgium in Inglewood on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Iran’s participation in the World Cup was uncertain in the wake of the U.S. and Israel launching strikes against the country in late February. Shortly after the war began, President Trump said that it was not “appropriate” for the Iranian team to compete due to safety concerns. But the Iranian team pushed back against Trump’s remarks in March, pointing out that FIFA is the event’s organizer, not the U.S.

Read more: https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5914041-iran-men-soccer-team-arrives-mexico/