Iran fans in Mexico voice concern over Team Melli visa dispute

TIJUANA: Iran’s national football team arrived in Mexico on Sunday to a modest استقبال from supporters in Tijuana, where fans turned out before dawn to welcome the squad despite controversy over US visa restrictions affecting some members of the delegation.

According to AFP, the team landed at 5:00 am and was met by around a dozen supporters as the players’ bus departed the airport. Among them was Sadegh Galavi, a mechanic who lives in the border city and said he came to greet the side as a gesture of support at a difficult moment for Iranian football.

Galavi, dressed in Iran’s white shirt with green and red trim, said the occasion mattered to him because the national side was arriving in his city. He also criticised the visa dispute, saying sport should represent peace and that politics should not be mixed with football.

While the players secured visas to enter the United States for group-stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, not all officials traveling with the team were cleared to enter. About 15 accompanying members of the delegation were denied visas, including Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj, who previously served in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Washington has designated a terrorist group.

War and venue changes add to uncertainty

The visa issue has added to wider uncertainty surrounding Iran’s participation in the World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. AFP reported that since the first Israeli and American strikes against Iran in late February, the war has repeatedly cast doubt over Team Melli’s path to the tournament.

It was the first time a World Cup participant had been at war with one of the host nations. Tehran had for a long period left unresolved whether the team would be permitted to take part, before FIFA’s position ultimately prevailed.

Two weeks ago, amid growing tensions, the Iranian federation announced that the team would be based in Tijuana instead of Tucson, Arizona, which had originally been planned. Iran are due to face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in the group stage and are seeking to reach the knockout rounds for the first time.

Supporters remain hopeful

Some supporters who came to see the team said they remained confident despite the off-field disruptions. Sina Moghadam, described by AFP as an Iranian-American who had travelled from nearby San Diego, said he believed such pressure would not weaken the side and instead would make it stronger.

Moghadam, carrying a large Iranian flag, also said he hoped Iran would meet the United States later in the tournament in what would become one of the event’s most politically charged fixtures.

The team’s arrival in Tijuana took place under tight security, with the bus escorted by heavily armed Mexican police and military personnel. Security was also visible around the team hotel and at the entrance to Estadio Caliente, where Iran is scheduled to train.

Hossein Nikyar, an engineer who drove overnight from Los Angeles with his son to welcome the squad, said the strong security presence gave him some comfort. He said Tijuana was safer for the team than Los Angeles because, in his view, many Iranians in LA were royalists who wanted to overthrow the Iranian government.

Nikyar, who already has tickets for Iran’s matches in Los Angeles, also expressed frustration with the handling of the situation, saying FIFA’s stated commitment to keeping politics out of the World Cup did not match what fans were seeing before the tournament had even begun.