The Iranian football federation announced on Tuesday that the country's World Cup team will travel to Los Angeles the day before their opening group stage match against New Zealand. The team will be based in Tijuana, Mexico, throughout the tournament, despite playing all three first-round matches in the United States.
Match Schedule and Visa Issues
Iran opens its campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday, followed by a match against Belgium in the same city on June 21, and a final group stage game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The team's participation has been overshadowed by the military conflict between Iran and the United States. While the players obtained visas to enter the United States, 15 members of the support team, including management and administrative staff, did not receive them. The visa dispute erupted just days before the World Cup kicks off on Thursday.
Travel Plans and FIFA Regulations
The tournament is jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Iranian federation spokesperson Amir Mehdi Alavi stated, "In accordance with FIFA's programme, the team delegation will travel to the United States on a charter flight. The team will travel to the host city one day before the match against New Zealand, and for the following two matches, we will be at the host venue two days before the game."
Warning Against Political Symbols
Iran's Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali separately warned against the display of certain symbols during matches. "If, in the stadiums where we play, we see any flag or symbol other than that of the Islamic Republic of Iran, or if norm-breaking slogans are chanted, the team official will certainly have a duty to stop the match. It is the responsibility of the organisers to rectify the situation," he was quoted by Iran's official IRNA news agency as saying. FIFA rules prohibit political symbols at World Cup matches.
