Faced with the conflict in the Middle East, Iran’s football team does not know whether it will compete in the World Cup, which starts in less than a month, but its hosts in the United States are moving full steam ahead in preparations for the reception.
At the sports complex that is expected to host the Asian team in hot Tucson, Arizona, employees methodically irrigate and cut the grass as stipulated by FIFA (International Football Federation) rules.
The pitch is maintained “in the same conditions in which they will play, both in Los Angeles and in Seattle”, explained Sarah Hanna, director of the Kino Sports Complex, where local club FC Tucson plays.
“We are happy to welcome them and we will provide them with a positive experience. For us, it is 100% confirmed and has never been in doubt (…) until we hear something different from FIFA,” he added.
Between 12 and 20 weekly meetings are held at the complex to coordinate the logistical arrangements for accommodation, food and security for the World Cup to be played in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
The work has not been stopped despite the uncertainty that the Iranian team has found itself in since February, when the United States and Israel went to war with Iran.
“Safe environment”
FIFA insists that the team will be at the World Cup. But, last Friday, the president of the Iranian Federation cited ten conditions for participating, including the issue of visas and respect for the technical committee.
Washington could veto the entry of delegation members linked to the Revolutionary Guard, Tehran’s ideological army, considered a terrorist organization by the United States.
Tehran also demanded security for its staff, at which point President Donald Trump added fuel to the fire. The Republican president said, in March, that the selection would be welcome, but then added that he did not see his participation in the tournament as “appropriate” “for his own life and safety”.
In Tucson, a majority-Democratic city, Hanna said authorities have drawn up “an adapted safety plan” that sees most training closed to the public.
Jon Pearlman, president of the local club, seeks to calm tensions. “I don’t believe President Trump or anyone in our administration wants to make them feel unwanted or in danger. They are going to create a safe environment because we want our country to continue to be a host,” said Pearlman, who already has her sights set on the 2031 Women’s World Cup.
“Impossible”
At the Kino Sports Complex, Iranian players are expected to have a gym equipped with weight machines, ice baths and massage tables.
“We welcome you with open arms. We are part of the global football community (…) the game unites nations, it does not separate them”, declared Pearlman.
A feeling shared in the city of around 540,000 inhabitants, on both sides of the political spectrum.
“I hope they feel welcome here despite what we’re doing,” said Rob McLane, a critic of the war on Iran.
On the other hand, Republican voters separate politics from sports.
“I’m glad they’re coming and I have no bad intentions or reservations,” commented Michael Holley, a veteran who approves of the war as necessary to prevent Iran from developing an atomic bomb.
For Holley, Trump’s words should not be read as a threat. He “feared that athletes would be punished by their own government if they had their own voice,” he commented.
The Iranian community residing in Tucson is divided. For some, like Ali Rezaei, the selection is a propaganda tool for the regime.
“It is impossible for me to support them. If there is a protest against them, perhaps I will participate,” he said.
