Iran’s World Cup squad touched down at Tijuana International Airport, Mexico, shortly after 5am PST on Sunday to finally begin preparations for this summer’s finals.Amir Ghalenoei’s side, who start their tournament against New Zealand on June 15, arrived almost four hours late due to a flight delay — a minor inconvenience compared to the uncertainty that has followed them in the build-up to this tournament.Tijuana sits on Mexico’s northern edge and is directly beside the U.S. border, the airport is a 22-mile drive from downtown San Diego.The journey across that border, however, is shaping up to be anything but straightforward.There was a small welcoming party of excited Iran fans, along with media, as players and staff arrived from their flight from Antalya, Turkey, where they had been preparing for the tournament.The players and officials proceeded to board a bus behind a security gate, waving to cheering fans from the windows as they headed towards their base in Tijuana, where they will spend the tournament adjusting plans with growing logistical concerns.Iran’s fans lined the exit to Tijuana airport as the team bus drove past (Guillermo Arias / AFP via Getty Images)In the hours before their arrival in Mexico, reports began to emerge that Iranian officials had been informed the team would be required to enter and leave the United States on the same day as any matches played there.The claim was made by Iran’s ambassador to Mexico and adds another layer of complexity to the country’s World Cup preparations.For now, though, Iran are in place and they have arrived for the World Cup in touching distance of the U.S..“I feel happy to welcome my team,” said Sadegh, an Iranian who waited overnight to see his team land at Tijuana. “I live in Tijuana and this is great to support. I hope we can go as far as possible.“I’m not a huge soccer fan but it is important to support my team. It doesn’t make sense to mix the World Cup with politics.”After their opener against New Zealand next Monday, Iran play Belgium on June 21 before concluding their group-stage campaign five days later against Egypt on June 26.