Iran squad arrives in Mexico amid bitter US visa row
The Iranian national football team has arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, after being forced to relocate their World Cup training camp due to major diplomatic and logistical complications with United States immigration.
Team Melli landed in the Mexican border city on Sunday morning local time, following a 20-hour flight from their preliminary training base in Antalya, Turkey.
Iran had originally planned to base their final pre-tournament camp in Tucson, Arizona. However, those plans were abandoned following severe delays and complications in securing entry documentation from US authorities.
The squad has been drawn into Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt. Despite all three of Iran’s group fixtures being scheduled on US soil, the team will remain headquartered across the border in Mexico for the duration of the tournament.
”We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day.”
— Abolfazl Pasandideh, Iran’s Ambassador to Mexico
Under the highly restrictive terms of the visas granted to the squad, Iranian players and essential staff are only permitted to enter the United States on match days and must exit the country immediately after the final whistle.
While the playing squad and coaching staff finally received clearance late on Friday, a fresh diplomatic dispute has erupted over the rejection of several key backroom personnel.
The Iranian embassy in Turkey has accused Washington of “deliberate and discriminatory treatment,” claiming that up to 15 essential administrative and management staff were denied visas entirely. Among those reportedly blocked from entry are senior executives from the Iranian Football Federation and key team analysts.
US officials have maintained that all essential athletic personnel were cleared, suggesting that some rejected applications involved individuals applying under “false pretenses.”
Iran’s football federation has called on world football’s governing body, FIFA, to intervene, arguing that the restrictions violate host nation obligations and deny the team a level playing field..
