Iran's World Cup team lands in Mexico amid US visa row

All of Iran's group games are in the US, but players and support staff will have to fly in and out of the country on match day. Fifa World Cup 2026: Iran's team lands in Mexico amid US visa row Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Team Iran arrived at Mexico's Tijuana International Airport in the early hours of Sunday morning Team Iran arrives at Tijuana for World Cup - Tijuana International Airport, Tijuana, Mexico - June 7, 2026 Iran's World Cup team lands in Mexico amid US visa row Iran's Fifa World Cup 2026 football team have landed in Mexico amid an ongoing row over visas and access to the stadiums in the US where they are to play. All three of Iran's group games are in the US, but the players and support staff have been told they have to fly in and out of the country on match day. Iran says 15 other officials and support staff have been denied visas altogether, which an official has described as political interference in sport in its worst form. 15 other officials and support staff have been denied visas altogether , which an official has described as political interference in sport in its worst form. The World Cup, jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, begins on 11 June, with Iran securing their place by finishing top of their qualification group in March 2025, almost a year before the US and Israel began attacks on the country. jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico , begins on 11 June, with Iran securing their place by finishing top of their qualification group in March 2025, almost a year before the US and Israel began attacks on the country. Players of Iran National Football Team celebrate after their teammate Mehdi Taremi (9) scored a goal during a friendly football match against Gambia at Titanic Mardan Palace Sports Complex in Antalya, Turkiye on May 29, 2026. Last-minute visas and moving training camp: Iran's road to the World Cup This will be the first iteration of the World Cup to see a host nation receive the team of a country it is at war with. The Iranian team landed in Tijuana early on Sunday morning local time. They will be based there after relocating the training base from the American city of Tucson, Arizona, in late May. The Iranian team landed in Tijuana early on Sunday morning local time. They will be based there after relocating the training base from the American city of Tucson, Arizona, in late May US officials said visas had been issued to all players and "necessary support staff" on Friday, 10 days before Iran's opening fixture against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June. According to Iranian state-linked media, 15 officials including the football federation chief, his deputy, and a media director are among those denied entry to the US. US officials said that Iran would not be allowed to "abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences", echoing comments US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made earlier in the week in which he said the Iranian delegation would not be allowed to include people with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps - a powerful branch of the Iranian armed forces. Several players in the Iranian squad have completed mandatory military service with the group. Iran's embassy in Turkey accused the US of "politically biased interference in sport" by denying visas to a "large portion of the managerial and executive staff" and "technical advisers". Embassy officials also called on Fifa, football's world governing body, to intervene on the visa row. Iran are also due to play Belgium in California and Egypt in Seattle in their other two group games. US President Donald Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney hold up tags bearing the names of their respective countries during the Fifa World Cup draw Can the US, Mexico and Canada set aside their differences as they co-host the World Cup? Iran's players celebrate after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone qualifiers Fifa World Cup 2026: What you need to know about Iran Israel says the attacks on the Lebanese capital were ordered "in response to Hezbollah's firing at Israeli territory". The Israeli military is investigating the incident in south Lebanon, where it is fighting Hezbollah. The seven-month-old boy's shrouded body was wrapped in a Palestinian flag and carried by his father to the graveyard.