TIJUANA, México — Iran’s soccer team arrives in Mexico for training ahead of the World Cup, before three group matches in the United States later this month.
Ehsan Hajsafi is the first player to exit the plane with the markings www.usc.aero, which arrives at about 5:05 a.m. He leads the team through a brief security check with Mexican officials and dogs before boarding a bus.
The bus stops briefly at the entrance to the Tijuana airport, where around 20 or so Iranian fans wave flags.
The team’s participation in the World Cup has been complicated by the Iran war.
Problems with processing visas had earlier led Iran to move its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, which is on the border with California.
The team has been training in the Turkish city of Antalya.
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Sunday, June 7, 2026
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