Iran’s World Cup squad is expected to arrive in Mexico early Sunday under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row between Tehran and Washington, after the United States refused to grant visas to some support team members.
The dispute erupted a few days before Thursday’s start of the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The Iranian team left Turkey, where they were training, on Saturday for Mexico, Iranian television announced.
They are expected to arrive early Sunday in Tijuana, a border city in northwestern Mexico where they will be based for the duration of the tournament.
Iran are set to play their three group games on US soil, making it the first World Cup to see the host nation host a rival country team.
Iran moved their base to Tijuana from their original base in Tucson, Arizona at the end of May.
