Iran World Cup team forced to leave US after tournament opener in apparent change of plans

After primitively being slated to walk the nighttime successful Los Angeles pursuing its World Cup opener connected Monday, the Iranian men's shot squad was ordered to permission the state arsenic soon arsenic possible.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei said it was ordered to permission the U.S. and instrumentality to its grooming basal successful Mexico lone a fewer hours aft opening its politically charged tourney by playing to a 2-2 gully with New Zealand connected Monday night.

Ghalenoei didn't accidental who ordered the Iranians to permission earlier than planned. The squad had expected to walk the nighttime successful California to maximize the mean betterment process aft its opening game, lone to beryllium told aft the lucifer that everyone indispensable instantly get connected a level for the 140-mile travel backmost to Tijuana.

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The Iran nationalist shot squad poses earlier the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G lucifer against New Zealand astatine SoFi Stadium successful Inglewood, California, connected June 15, 2026. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu)

"They didn’t adjacent springiness america clip to recover," Ghalenoei said done an interpreter. "After the crippled today, they said to us, ‘You person to permission immediately.’ It’s precise important for america to person clip for recovery, (but) we are asked to get connected a level and instrumentality to our campy successful Tijuana, and we are truly troubled by that."

Iran skipper Mehdi Taremi said the squad endured 5 hours of question and information checks during what is usually a precise abbreviated travel from Tijuana to the Los Angeles country connected Sunday.

Members of the Iranian National Football squad get by autobus astatine the Marriott Hotel successful Tijuana, Mexico, aft their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G lucifer against New Zealand connected June 15, 2026. (Carlos Moreno/Anadolu)

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"We don’t cognize wherefore they are returning us, to beryllium honest," Ghalenoei said. "I deliberation it’s precise strange. It seems similar others are doing the readying for us. The decision-making for america is being made elsewhere. We were expected to travel 2 nights earlier the game, and we were expected to enactment contiguous to retrieve and instrumentality time astatine lunchtime. We person nary thought why.

"I deliberation our squad is possibly the astir oppressed successful the World Cup."

Taremi called connected FIFA to connection further assistance.

"I deliberation FIFA person to assistance america much than this. ... Everything is similar a disaster, actually, for us," helium said.

The Iranians’ remaining 2 games successful radical play are against Belgium successful Inglewood connected Sunday, followed by a travel to Seattle to look Egypt adjacent week.

Iran fans observe wildly arsenic their squad battles New Zealand to a World Cup draw. (Photo by Liza Rosales/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

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While several 100 Iranian Americans protested the authorities outside, many fans from the diaspora jeered and turned their backs connected the tract during the nationalist anthem. Dozens of Lion and Sun emblems — the centerpiece of Iran’s authoritative emblem earlier 1979 — were displayed successful the assemblage contempt FIFA’s attempts to support them away, portion dozens much fans wore the Lion and Sun emblems connected T-shirts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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