Iran’s national football team landed in Mexico early Sunday to set up its training camp in Tijuana ahead of the World Cup, against the backdrop of ongoing war with the United States, which has refused entry to some members of the coaching staff.
An AFP photographer captured the team’s plane landing at Tijuana Airport around 5 a.m. local time. After months of uncertainty surrounding its participation, Iran’s team is now at the center of political attention in this World Cup, marking the first time a country at war with the host nation has competed in the tournament.
Players and staff arrived at a heavily guarded airport patrolled by Mexico’s National Guard, where a small group of fans greeted them waving Iranian flags.
The dispute between Iran and the United States escalated after Washington denied visas to several team staff members just days before the World Cup kicks off on Thursday. The 2026 edition is jointly hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Iranian television reported that the team departed Turkey on Saturday after a 15-day training camp in Antalya, heading directly to Mexico.
Iran will play all three of its group stage matches on U.S. soil, an unprecedented situation in World Cup history. In late May, the team shifted its base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, where it will remain throughout the tournament.
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