The Iran national team arrived in Mexico, this Sunday (7), to establish their base in Tijuana, on the eve of a football World Cup complicated by the war with the United States, which denied visas to some members of the technical team for the games scheduled in their territory.
The plane with “Team Melli” landed at Tijuana airport at around 5 am local time.
After months of uncertainty about their participation in the World Cup, the Iranian team will be the political focus of this edition of the tournament, held in North America, as never before has a country participating in the competition been at war with a host country.
The flight with the players and technical staff landed at a heavily guarded airport, patrolled by soldiers from the Mexican National Guard. The Iranians were awaited by a small group of fans waving Iranian flags.
The team, which is expected to play two matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle during the group stage, will compete in extremely unusual conditions.
With just over a week to go before Iran’s debut, conditions of entry and exit into the United States remain uncertain, and several Iranian institutions have mentioned different measures.
The American government granted visas to the players, but not to all members of the coaching staff.
Around 15 members of the delegation received a refusal, including the president of the Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI), Mehdi Taj, who served in the Revolutionary Guards, the country’s ideological army, considered a terrorist organization by Washington.
Visas denied for technical staff
In this World Cup, organized jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada, the Asian team is expected to play its first match on June 15 in Los Angeles.
Although the players were able to obtain visas, the Iranian ambassador to Mexico said during a press conference Saturday at base camp in Tijuana that his country’s team will have to enter and leave the United States “on the same day” as their matches.
However, the Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI) spokesman had previously said that the players would arrive in the United States on the eve of their first match and two days before the other two games.
This Sunday, the president of FFIRI, Mehdi Taj, mentioned, in statements to Iranian TV, that the team had the right to enter the United States on the eve of the matches.
“Where in the world is a national team only allowed to enter by the host country the day before their matches?” protested Taj, who according to several Iranian media outlets is one of 15 members of the delegation who were denied visas to enter the United States.
Neither the USA nor FIFA have commented on the matter.
The restrictions were lamented by many fans in Tijuana.
“They shouldn’t mix football and politics, they are very different things,” Daniel Mercado, an employee at a restaurant specializing in tacos near the hotel where ‘Team Melli’ will be staying, told AFP.
Enhanced security
Several days ago, this establishment painted the tournament’s golden trophy on its windows, accompanied by the slogan: “A world united by the ball!”.
This is a cheerful message that contrasts with the mood in the neighborhood, where security has been stepped up to welcome Iran’s national team.
In front of the hotel where the Persian delegation will be staying, heavily armed National Guard soldiers are positioned. Same situation as the entrance to the Caliente stadium, the Xolos club’s usual ground, where Iran will train.
Despite the presence of the military, Mercado hopes that ‘Team Melli’ feels “welcome”.
For the Iranian delegation, visa problems are just the tip of the iceberg of a long soap opera.
Most of the team’s players compete in the local championship, canceled at the end of February after the first attacks by Israel and the United States.
Because of the war, Tehran remained in doubt about whether or not its national team would be present at the World Cup.
Even American President Donald Trump sent contradictory signals in this regard, stating that the Iranians were welcome, but that they should reconsider their participation for security reasons.
Ultimately, its presence was confirmed, but Iran moved its base camp, initially planned for Tucson, in the US state of Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico.
