Iran’s soccer team arrives in Mexico for training ahead of the World Cup

SoccerIran’s soccer team arrives in Mexico for training ahead of the World CupThe team’s participation in the World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, has been complicated by the Iran war. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Members of the Iranian national soccer team including captain Ehsan Haji Safi arrive at Tijuana International Airport, in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday.Mario Tama / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 7, 2026, 11:09 AM EDTBy The Associated PressTIJUANA, México — Iran’s soccer team arrived in Mexico on Sunday morning for training ahead of the World Cup, before three group matches in the United States later this month.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Ehsan Hajsafi was the first player to exit the plane with markings for German charter airline USC, which arrived at about 5:05 a.m. He led the team, dressed in blue blazers over white T-shirts, through a brief security check with Mexican officials and dogs before boarding a bus.The bus stopped briefly at the entrance to the Tijuana airport, where around 20 or so Iran fans waved flags.The team’s participation in the World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, has been complicated by the Iran war. Problems with processing visas earlier led Iran to move its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, which is on the border with California.The team has been training in the Turkish city of Antalya. It flew directly to Mexico on a private jet from the Mediterranean city’s airport.Some members of their entourage were reportedly still without U.S. visas, according to Iranian state television on Saturday. Those include the Iranian Football Federation’s secretary-general, Hedayat Mombeini, and its vice president, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi.Iran plays its first two games in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15, and Belgium six days later, then heads to Sea...