The Result Under The Result
WASHINGTON — Iran's World Cup soccer team has been granted visas to enter the United States, clearing the squad to travel from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico, for two matches in Inglewood, California, later this month.
U.S. officials confirmed all players, coaches and support staff received visas. The approvals came after earlier problems forced Iran to shift its training setup from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, just across the border in Mexico.
The list looks clean on paper; the hard part is everything that happens after it is printed.
The Useful Context
The Iranian side opens its tournament against New Zealand on June 15 and faces Belgium six days later, both in Inglewood. A third group match is scheduled against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Should both Iran and the United States finish second in their respective groups, the two nations would meet in the round of 32 on July 3 in Arlington, Texas.
The visa outcome marks a reversal from March, when President Donald Trump said he didn't think it was "appropriate" for Iran to compete and raised concerns about player safety. Iran's national team responded that no one could exclude it from the tournament.
The Part Still Unclear
The squad has been preparing in Antalya, Turkey, before moving to Tijuana, and already secured entry permits from Mexico's embassy in Ankara. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack noted the embassy's role in processing the visas in a social media post.
Iran finalized its roster Monday, including 17 home-based players whose clubs have not played since February because of the ongoing conflict. Star forward Sardar Azmoun was dropped in March after reportedly sharing a social media post that angered authorities during the war.