Iran says World Cup team must enter, leave US soil on day of matches
6/7/2026 1:12:16 PM
The remarks were made by the Iranian envoy to Mexico as he spoke to reporters.
Because of the US-Israeli war, Iran’s World Cup team is now in Mexico, abandoning its original plans to train in Tucson, in the US state of Arizona.
“We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day,” Ambassador Abolfazl Pasandideh told reporters citing US visa restrictions.
The Iranian squad is scheduled to play three group-stage matches in the United States, including two matches in Los Angeles, California, and one in Seattle, Washington.
Regional tensions have escalated after the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran in late February, triggering a cycle of retaliatory attacks that widened instability across the region.
Iran, in retaliation, subsequently launched strikes against Israel and targeted countries hosting US military bases, while also disrupting shipping through the critical Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.
Because of the US-Israeli war, Iran’s World Cup team is now in Mexico, abandoning its original plans to train in Tucson, in the US state of Arizona.
“We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day,” Ambassador Abolfazl Pasandideh told reporters citing US visa restrictions.
The Iranian squad is scheduled to play three group-stage matches in the United States, including two matches in Los Angeles, California, and one in Seattle, Washington.
Regional tensions have escalated after the US and Israel launched air strikes on Iran in late February, triggering a cycle of retaliatory attacks that widened instability across the region.
Iran, in retaliation, subsequently launched strikes against Israel and targeted countries hosting US military bases, while also disrupting shipping through the critical Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.