US Orders Iran To Leave Los Angeles After 2-2 Draw With New Zealand

Iran’s men’s soccer team was ordered to leave Los Angeles and fly back to its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, immediately after its 2-2 draw with New Zealand on Monday night, despite coach Amir Ghalenoei saying the plan had been to spend the night in California.

Ghalenoei told reporters, “They didn’t even give us time to recover,” and said that after the game “You have to leave immediately.”

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The US government said the quick departure was always the plan, with Andrew Giuliani telling CBS News that the team would depart “the evening of the match,” and a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson telling CNN that the Iranians agreed to those terms.

CNN also reported that Iran’s World Cup preparation had included a last-minute training base relocation from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, and that Iran would play its three group games in the US as scheduled, including a Sunday showdown with Belgium in Los Angeles and a matchup against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

NBC News reported that Ghalenoei said it was ordered out of the US only a few hours after the opening match, with the team expecting to stay overnight in California before being told that everyone must immediately get on a plane for the 140-mile trip back to Tijuana.

Ghalenoei said, “After the game today, they said to us, ‘You have to leave immediately.’,” and he added, “I think our team is perhaps the most oppressed in the World Cup.”

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NBC News said Iran captain Mehdi Taremi described the trip as involving five hours of travel and security checks, and he said, “I think FIFA have to help us more than this.”

The NBC report also tied the disruption to visa denials, saying Taremi and Ghalenoei decried the lack of important staff members, including the president of Iran’s football federation, coaching support personnel and media officials, who were denied visas by the US.

Türkiye Today described the Iranian-American community watching the match in Washington, D.C., and said the host nation at war with a participating team shaped everything around Iran’s presence in the United States.

“LOS ANGELES, CA — Iran's national soccer team played its opening World Cup match in Los Angeles, just one day after a ceasefire announcement eased tensions following more than 100 days of conflict”

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In that setting, Amir Ghalenoei told the pre-match news conference, “We only think about our country. We are not political people,” while Alexandra Leila Bennett said, “This is definitely something out of politics,” and criticized FIFA for not backing the team up.

Türkiye Today also quoted an American-Iranian saying, “The United States is making it about politics, making it difficult for these kids to come here,” and another fan who said, “It's a sport. A sport should always be separate from politics and religion.”

Meanwhile, NBC News said Iran’s remaining two group-stage games are against Belgium in Inglewood on Sunday and then a trip to Seattle to face Egypt next week, after Iran overcame two deficits with the tying goal from Mohammad Mohebi in the 64th minute.