Iran’s World Cup squad drew 2-2 with New Zealand on June 15. Then, instead of sleeping in Los Angeles like every other team would after a match, they were ordered to pack up and drive back across the border to Tijuana, Mexico.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei didn’t hold back. He called Iran the “most oppressed team in the whole World Cup,” pointing to travel strains and the near-total absence of recovery time between matches as the primary grievances.
From Arizona to Tijuana, the hard way
Iran originally set up its World Cup base camp in Tucson, Arizona. That lasted until late May 2026, when US visa denials for key staff members made it untenable to operate on American soil.
At least 11 federation officials were denied entry into the United States, gutting the team’s operational capacity during a tournament that’s supposed to be the pinnacle of international football.
