{"id":506,"date":"2026-06-16T20:39:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T20:39:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smartmovinghome.com\/?p=506"},"modified":"2026-06-16T20:39:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T20:39:28","slug":"irans-soccer-team-forced-to-return-to-mexico-immediately-after-first-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smartmovinghome.com\/?p=506","title":{"rendered":"Iran\u2019s Soccer Team Forced to Return to Mexico Immediately After First Game"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Read more \u201cWithout Me, There Would Be No Israel,\u201d Trump Says as Israel Remains in Lebanon<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Members of Iran\u2019s national soccer team expressed frustration about their treatment after they were told the team needed to leave Los Angeles immediately after playing their opening World Cup game against New Zealand on Monday night. <\/p>\n

After a 2-2 draw in their opening game with New Zealand Monday night, Iran\u2019s team was forced to fly back to Mexico rather than remain in Los Angeles and do a recovery session Tuesday as they had hoped. Their late-night flight left the team traveling in the late hours of Monday into early Tuesday morning. <\/p>\n

The game took place just a day after President Donald Trump claimed he had reached a deal with Iran\u2019s government to end the unprovoked war he launched at the end of February \u2013 though skeptics warn it may only bring a short pause before more long-drawn-out war. <\/p>\n

Head coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed exasperation at having to fly back to Mexico, saying, \u201cThey have said we have to leave immediately. We are really troubled by that. We don\u2019t know why they are returning us, to be honest. It seems very strange. It seems others are doing the planning for us.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Iranian team has faced numerous obstacles due to U.S. restrictions, including having to relocate their team to stay in Mexico rather than stay in the U.S. during the World Cup. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that the Iranian soccer team would be allowed to enter the U.S. the day before each of its three World Cup matches, which it said was due to Trump\u2019s \u201cgenerosity.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe get tired,\u201d said goalscorer Mohammad Mohebbi, referring to all the back-and-forth travel. \u201cThis kind of thing I think is a little bit unfair, you know?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not good for the football, because in a World Cup, you have to prepare good for the next game, because it is a lot of stress for the players and staff and everyone,\u201d striker Mehdi Taremi added. \u201cBut we don\u2019t have that support, and I think FIFA have to help us more than this.\u201d <\/p>\n

In addition, 15 support staff members of the Iranian soccer federation were denied U.S. visas; while they appealed after arriving in Mexico, only 4 successfully obtained visas, leaving 11 members of the delegation still unable to enter the U.S. <\/p>\n

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\u201cOur president isn\u2019t here, our media isn\u2019t here, many of our management team isn\u2019t here,\u201d Ghalenoei said.<\/p>\n

Ghalenoei added that he thinks the Iranian team is \u201cthe most oppressed\u201d of the teams participating in the international tournament. <\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s draconian border policies have affected numerous individuals and teams taking part in this year\u2019s tournament, but he has expressed particular disdain for Iran\u2019s team. In March, Trump said that the team should not stay in the U.S. during the World Cup \u201cfor their own life and safety,\u201d a thinly-veiled threat against the team in a tournament ostensibly designed to promote international cooperation and cross-border unity. <\/p>\n

Adding to their troubles, winger Mehdi Torabi\u2019s U.S. visa expired Monday night, leaving the team uncertain if he will be able to return to the U.S. for the team\u2019s subsequent two games. Torabi was issued only one single-entry visa instead of the multiple-entry visas given to the other players on the team. <\/p>\n

After the Monday night match, FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the Iranian team. \u201cI know what you go through. I understand. But you are stronger than everything,\u201d he told the team. <\/p>\n

Despite his assurances, Infantino has done little to better the situation for the Iranian team, or for others impacted by Trump\u2019s restrictions. This includes Omar Artan, the Somali referee denied entry due to Trump\u2019s animosity towards Somalis; FIFA\u2019s response was that these decisions rested with the \u201chost country.\u201d <\/p>\n

Infantino has ingratiated himself to Trump since the start of his first presidential term, even creating the \u201cFIFA Peace Prize\u201d and making Trump the award\u2019s first recipient. While Infantino claims that the World Cup promotes peace, he has allied himself with the world\u2019s most powerful, and done little to alter the global imbalances as they take shape over the soccer field. <\/p>\n

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Iran\u2019s soccer team is \u201cthe most oppressed\u201d of the teams participating in the World Cup, said the team\u2019s head coach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":505,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nIran\u2019s Soccer Team Forced to Return to Mexico Immediately After First Game - Smart Moving Home<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smartmovinghome.com\/?p=506\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Iran\u2019s Soccer Team Forced to Return to Mexico Immediately After First Game - 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