Full Breakdown
Iran’s World Cup Squad Ordered to Leave the U.S. Immediately After Opening Match
6/17/2026, 8:01:03 PM
Immediate Expulsion After Opening Match
On Monday night, Iran’s men’s national soccer team drew 2-2 with New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Within hours, the delegation received an official directive to board a flight back to its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, rather than remaining in Los Angeles for the usual overnight recovery. Coach Amir Ghalenoei said the order arrived “after the game today” and left the squad “troubled” because it eliminated any post-match medical or tactical debrief.
Travel Protocol and Visa Restrictions
U.S. officials had previously outlined a “match-day-minus-one” policy for the Iranian delegation: players and coaches could enter the United States only the day before a match and must depart the evening the match concluded. Executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force Andrew Giuliani confirmed that this protocol was communicated in advance. The policy stemmed from broader visa restrictions imposed after the February 28 2026 U.S.–Israel-Iran conflict, including a ban on individuals with direct ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as articulated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Key Figures and Their Roles
- Amir Ghalenoei – Head coach of Iran (Team Melli)
- Mehdi Taremi – Team captain and forward
- Mehdi Torabi – Winger whose single-entry visa expired after the first match (later re-issued)
- Andrew Giuliani – Executive director, White House FIFA Task Force
- Gianni Infantino – President, FIFA
- Mehdi Taj – President, Iranian Football Federation
Numbers and Logistics
- All 31 players and coaching staff received visas; 11–15 support personnel were denied entry.
- The flight from Tijuana to Los Angeles normally takes under an hour; the team spent roughly five hours in security checks and travel.
- The distance between Tijuana and Inglewood is about 140 miles (225 km).
- Approximately 230,000 Iranian-Americans reside in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the largest diaspora concentration in the United States.
- FIFA had revoked Iran’s ticket allocation, reducing it to roughly 8 percent of stadium capacity.
Official Statements from U.S. and Iran
U.S. officials emphasized that the “process” was pre-established and applied uniformly. Giuliani told the Associated Press, “We were clear this was the process,” and reiterated that the team would be allowed entry only on match-day-minus-one and must leave the same evening. The Iranian side, through Ghalenoei, described the sudden departure as “very important for us to have time for recovery, but we are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that.” Captain Taremi added that the situation “is not good for us, it’s not good for football” and called for greater FIFA assistance.
Team’s Critique of the Process
Iranian officials labeled the squad “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.” Players highlighted the absence of key staff—media officers, federation president, and technical assistants—citing the visa bans as “a disaster” that forced coaches to assume additional duties. The federation also accused the United States of “obstructing the presence of Iranian supporters at the stadiums.”
Discrepancies in Accounts
- Ghalenoei did not identify which authority issued the immediate departure order; U.S. officials claim it was pre-planned.
- Reports differ on the exact number of denied staff members (11 vs 15).
- While all players held valid visas, one source notes that winger Mehdi Torabi’s entry visa expired after the first match before being re-issued.
Verbatim Quotes
- “After the game today, they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately.’ It’s very important for us to have time for recovery, (but) we are asked to get on a plane and return to our camp in Tijuana, and we are really troubled by that.” — Amir Ghalenoei, Iran head coach
- “Everything is a disaster, actually, for us.” — Mehdi Taremi, Iran captain
- “We were clear this was the process.” — Andrew Giuliani, White House FIFA Task Force director
- “I know what you go through, I understand, but you are stronger than everything,” — Gianni Infantino, FIFA President
- “The United States has now taken steps to obstruct the presence of Iranian supporters at the stadiums.” — Iranian Football Federation statement
Upcoming Group Matches
Iran’s next fixtures are against Belgium in Inglewood on June 23 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The team will again travel from Tijuana to the United States under the same match-day entry and exit restrictions, while officials continue to press FIFA for additional support.
