Iran football team departs Tijuana for World Cup debut in Los Angeles

The Iran national football team moved its World Cup base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, before traveling to Los Angeles for its opening match against New Zealand on 15 June 2026. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the Marriott hotel in Tijuana, chanting “Irán, hermano, ya eres mexicano” and handing out flags and autographs as the squad prepared to cross the border. Visa restrictions imposed by the United States limited the size of Iran’s delegation, prompting the team to use Tijuana as a staging point.

In Los Angeles, protestors displayed the Iranian, U.S. and Israeli flags outside the team’s hotel, while the team’s coach emphasized a focus on peace and joy rather than politics. A separate incident near the team’s training ground in Tijuana involved the discovery of a decomposed body in a parked vehicle, though authorities found no link to the Iranian delegation.

The departure illustrates the logistical and diplomatic challenges faced by the Iranian side amid ongoing U.S.–Iran tensions, while fan support highlights the diaspora’s enthusiasm for the World Cup.