Protests, visa curbs and a dead body: Iran's World Cup opener against New Zealand arrives under siege

A fractured preparation

Iran will fly from its Tijuana base to Los Angeles on the day of the match, then must leave U.S. soil immediately after the final whistle. The Trump administration has capped stays at less than 24 hours, forcing the team to train in Mexico and make lightning trips for each fixture. The arrangement follows a visa fight in which Iran's football federation president and several officials were denied entry.

“I am happy that Iran is at the World Cup and proud of the work done by the FIFA team to make this possible.”

Adding an eerie note, a decomposing body was discovered in a car trunk outside the Estadio Caliente, where the squad had been training, on the eve of their departure.

Protests and counter-threats

Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian diaspora anywhere, estimated at 500,000 to 600,000. Ahead of the match, demonstrators waving the lion-and-sun flag of pre-revolutionary Iran gathered outside the stadium.

“This is not the Iranian national team — it is the national team of the Islamic Republic.”

“The truce is only there to let the World Cup take place in a less tense climate, but it will end soon.”

Iran's sports minister struck back, threatening to halt matches if banned symbols appear. FIFA's code of conduct outlaws the pre-1979 flag, but activists say they will smuggle banners inside and boo the Islamic Republic anthem.

Taremi and Ghalenoei voice frustration

Captain Mehdi Taremi, the former Inter Milan striker, did not hide his irritation during the pre-match press conference.

“I have felt the tension since the first moment we arrived. This undermines the joy of the game and FIFA's message that football brings peace.”

Coach Amir Ghalenoei tried a more diplomatic tone but admitted the preparation had been far from ideal:

“They certainly wanted to put us in difficulty. We arrived in Mexico late and did not have enough time to adapt.”

Neither man would discuss the U.S.-Iran ceasefire announced less than a day earlier.

What comes next

After tonight's encounter, Iran will repeat the same rush-in, rush-out pattern: they will play Belgium in Los Angeles on 21 June and then face Egypt in Seattle on 26 June, each time returning to Mexican soil before midnight. The distances are short, but the logistics are brittle, and the political backdrop shows no sign of softening. For a team that has won at least one match at each of its last two World Cups, the real contest may be whether it can keep focus amid the noise.