USA Extends Courtesy to Iranian National Team

The Iranian national football team will be permitted to stay overnight in the United States during the World Cup, the Iranian Federation confirmed to DPA on the day of their opening match against New Zealand. The game is scheduled for 4:00 AM Bulgarian time tomorrow night.

Initially, the team was only slated to travel to the US on match days and return immediately to their base in Tijuana, Mexico. However, the entire squad departed for Los Angeles the day before their clash with New Zealand and will now be able to stay overnight in the US at their convenience. All three of Iran's group stage matches at the 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States, a nation that has been engaged in military actions with Iran in recent months.

Despite the new arrangements, the Iranian team's first trip to the US was not without its hitches. The squad arrived late for their pre-match press conference, with forward Mehdi Taremi stating they had left their base five hours before their short flight.

There was significant uncertainty surrounding Iran's participation in the World Cup at all, given the ongoing conflict with the US. Subsequently, the team relocated its training camp from Arizona to Mexico, as reported by BTA.