Iran football team departs Tijuana after World Cup exit
More than a hundred fans gathered at Tijuana’s Marriott hotel on July 1, 2026 to bid farewell to Iran’s national football squad as it left Mexico for the airport. Coach Amir Ghalenoei thanked supporters, saying the team’s “heart remains in Tijuana.” The delegation had spent a month in the city after the United States denied visas to several officials, forcing a last‑minute move of the training base from Tucson to Tijuana.
In Tehran, crowds of hundreds greeted the returning players with chants, music and flowers at Mehrabad Airport. Goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, hailed as a hero after a 0‑0 draw with Belgium, and defender Ramin Rezaïan apologized for the team’s failure to advance beyond the group stage, attributing the difficulty to “U.S. restrictions.”
Iran’s foreign minister later criticized the United States as “unfit to host international tournaments,” citing the visa saga and broader U.S.–Iran tensions that marred the World Cup experience.