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Iranian Squad Lands in Tijuana Ahead of World Cup Amid Ongoing US Visa Dispute
Iran’s football team landed in Tijuana ahead of the World Cup amid a growing dispute over US visa restrictions affecting players and staff.
Iran’s national football team has arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, just days before the start of the FIFA World Cup, as uncertainty continues to surround entry arrangements for the squad in the United States.
The team’s plane landed in the Mexican border city early Sunday, according to AFP journalists, following a journey from Turkey with a stopover in Spain.
Tijuana will serve as Iran’s tournament base during the World Cup co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada.
However, concerns over US visa policies have overshadowed the team’s preparations, with several Iranian officials accusing American authorities of unfair treatment.
Although the players have secured visas, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico said on Saturday that the squad would only be permitted to enter the United States on matchdays and would have to leave immediately after each game.
Iran’s group-stage fixtures are all scheduled to be played in the United States, including matches against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle.
The ambassador’s comments appeared to contradict an earlier statement from a federation spokesperson, who said the team would travel to the US a day before its opening game and two days ahead of the remaining matches.
Reacting to the controversy, Iranian football chief Mehdi Taj criticised the restrictions, noting that some members of the team’s delegation had been denied visas.
According to Iranian media, Taj was among approximately 15 staff members who were refused entry permits.
In comments shared by state-run news agency IRNA, he questioned the treatment of the Iranian delegation.
“Where in the world is a national team only allowed to enter the host country one day before its matches?”
He also labelled the arrangement:
“a form of malice, favouritism, unpreparedness and inequality”.
Neither FIFA nor US authorities have commented publicly on the issue.
The visa controversy prompted Iran to move its training camp from Arizona to Tijuana as concerns mounted amid ongoing tensions connected to the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
While the players were eventually granted visas, some members of the team’s support staff remain without permission to enter the United States.
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