Iran is training in Tijuana before its World Cup opener as a ticket dispute and unresolved US visa issues add to border problems affecting several teams and officials.
Iran’s national football team is training in Tijuana, Mexico, days before its first World Cup match in the United States, as a dispute over supporter tickets and unresolved visas for delegation members add to wider border and immigration problems around the tournament.
The Iranian Football Federation said Tuesday that its full allocation of tickets for Iran’s three group-stage matches had been withdrawn without explanation, leaving supporters in doubt before games against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt. The dispute comes as the team prepares to cross from Mexico into the US for its June 15 opener in Los Angeles.
Under FIFA rules cited by the federation, participating teams receive 8% of capacity for each match to distribute through official channels. The federation said it had already begun sales after receiving its quota and that some fans had made travel plans. In its statement, it said the withdrawal meant it was unable to provide “even a single ticket” to national-team supporters.
Neither FIFA nor US tournament organizers had publicly commented on the Iranian accusation, according to Al Jazeera. The Iranian federation said it had filed a formal protest and called on FIFA and organizers to ensure neutrality and equal treatment for participating countries.
The visa situation remains another point of uncertainty. Euronews reported that the US had refused visas to 13 members of Iran’s technical and administrative staff, while Al Jazeera cited Tehran as saying some 15 administrative and management staff had been prevented from entering the US. Iranian players and support staff landed in Mexico on Sunday, according to Al Jazeera, after earlier plans for a US training base in Tucson, Arizona, were changed.
Iran is using Tijuana, just across the border from San Diego, to limit the amount of travel it must undertake inside the United States. The team is scheduled to play New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Inglewood on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino had previously said at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver that Iran would take part in the tournament and play in the United States. US President Donald Trump also told Infantino that Iran was welcome to compete, a message Infantino shared publicly on Instagram. Those assurances have not resolved questions over support staff visas or the timing of the team’s entry into the US for match obligations.
The problems are not limited to Iran. Euronews reported that Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, selected among 52 officials for the tournament, was turned away at Miami airport and will not officiate. FIFA said it had been told his situation would not change at this time.
Other teams and players have also faced scrutiny on arrival. Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was detained for about seven hours at Chicago O’Hare International Airport before being cleared to enter, while videos circulating on social media showed Senegalese players being body-searched near an airport runway. Uzbekistan’s squad, including coach Fabio Cannavaro, was checked by federal officers with police dogs outside its team bus before a warm-up match in New York.
US Customs and Border Protection said all travelers, including athletes, are subject to inspection and vetting on a case-by-case basis. The border cases have emerged after Trump issued a June 2025 executive order banning citizens of 12 countries, including Iran and Somalia, from entering the US.
With kickoff approaching, Iran’s immediate questions are whether its remaining delegation members can obtain clearance, whether supporters will regain access to official tickets and how smoothly the squad can move between its Mexican base and US match venues.
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