TIJUANA : Iran’s national soccer team arrived in the Mexican border city of Tijuana on Sunday ahead of three World Cup group-stage matches in the United States, with geopolitical tensions adding an unusual backdrop to the tournament.
The squad landed shortly after 5 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) following an overnight flight from Turkey, where they had spent the previous three weeks preparing for the competition.
Around 20 supporters waving Iranian flags gathered outside Tijuana airport as the team departed under a security escort of police and military personnel. The delegation travelled to a Marriott hotel that will serve as its base camp during the tournament.
Soccer is one of Iran’s most popular sports, drawing support across political and social divides. Yet the team’s participation in the World Cup has been overshadowed by tensions stemming from the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States, raising questions for months over whether the squad would be able to enter U.S. territory to play its matches.
The political sensitivities also influenced logistical decisions. Iran’s football federation moved its base camp from Arizona to Mexico at the last minute because of uncertainty surrounding visa approvals and a desire to limit the team’s presence in the United States, according to Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh.
Iran are scheduled to open their Group G campaign against New Zealand near Los Angeles on June 15 before facing Belgium on June 21. Their final group match is against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Iran and the United States could meet in the round of 32 if both teams finish second in their respective groups.
Pressure on players
The tournament marks the first World Cup since its inception in 1930 in which a host nation is due to welcome a country with which it is at war.
The conflict is only one of several pressures facing the Iranian team. Anti-government protests that erupted last year and were met with a sweeping crackdown, followed by U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran in February, have heightened scrutiny of the national side.
“It has become a lose-lose for the players,” said Abbas Milani, director of Iranian studies at Stanford University.
“There are pressures on players not to play with the team, pressure to show comity with the people, and the athletes are just there to play soccer,” he said.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Iran’s players drew global attention when they declined to sing the national anthem before their opening match, a gesture widely interpreted as solidarity with anti-government protesters.
Milani said the political pressures surrounding the team had intensified since then.
Visa uncertainty
After weeks of uncertainty, the United States granted visas to all players on Friday, just 10 days before Iran’s opening match.
However, several members of the Iranian delegation, including key managerial and administrative personnel, were denied visas, according to the football federation.
The federation accused the United States of failing to meet its obligations as a World Cup host and of violating FIFA regulations.
