Iran's national football team relocated their World Cup base camp from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico because of visa complications and strained relations with the US, sources said [1, 2, 3]. The team arrived late to the tournament with little time to adjust, flying from Tijuana to Los Angeles shortly before their opening group match against New Zealand on June 14 at SoFi Stadium [1, 2].
On the same day, an agreement to halt hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz was announced, easing regional tensions ahead of Iran’s appearance [1]. Iran qualified for the World Cup by topping their Asian qualifying group with one loss and two draws in 10 matches [3].
The Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles, known as "Tehrangeles" for its large community of 375,000 Iranian-Americans, protested FIFA's ban on the pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flag, which angered many who opposed the current Iranian regime [1, 2]. About 35,000 supporters from Iran were expected to attend the group stage games on the US West Coast [2]. Arezo Rashidian, a protester, said, "You don't come to Los Angeles and tell us we can't fly the Lion and Sun flag. This is the largest Iranian community outside Iran... We're opposing Fifa's ban and standing in solidarity with the people of Iran" [1].
Somali referee Omar Artan was denied US entry and could not officiate at the tournament, highlighting further visa and political challenges affecting the event [2, 3].
Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei said the political climate had weighed heavily on the team’s World Cup experience. "This kind of behaviour has impacted the spirit of football. Football is supposed to bring nations and cultures together. It is about bringing joy. These conditions have affected our focus..." he said [1]. Striker Mehdi Taremi added, "This kind of tension undermines that joy and it undermines the message of Fifa and our people, which is about football and bringing about peace," and lamented the lost sense of the tournament’s usual celebration of unity [2].
Iran’s opening match against New Zealand took place on June 14 in Los Angeles, marking the team’s first competitive game on US soil since relocating their preparation base [1, 2].
