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Iran's Travel Setup and Security Concerns at the World Cup

Monday, June 22, 2026
5 min read
Iran's Travel Setup and Security Concerns at the World Cup

Andrew Giuliani, executive director for the White House World Cup Task Force, said Iran’s travel setup is staying put for now. But they expect things to change after Sunday’s game against Belgium.

Iran has been complaining about this arrangement already. They feel they are only allowed to travel to host cities within twenty-four hours of kickoff and then have to immediately head back to Tijuana, Mexico after every match. Coach Amir Ghalenoei recently called his team “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup.” That kind of feeling sticks.

Giuliani acknowledged things could still shift around here.

“The situation is dynamic,” he put it. “We have a plan right now. Tomorrow afternoon, after the Belgium match, they’ll take that twenty-seven-minute flight back to Tijuana.” It sounds simple enough, but it feels fragile.

But there’s more going on with where they train. Before the tournament started, Iran was supposed to use Tucson, Arizona as their main training base. They moved it to Tijuana instead. Giuliani argued that this switch actually made travel easier for them.

“The shift from Tucson to Tijuana,” he said. “I think that was good for everybody involved.” He added the flight time was an hour shorter than going from Tucson. And they seemed happy with how match one went in Los Angeles, too.

Still, there are sticking points. Some team officials haven’t even gotten their visas. Giuliani pointed out that this is because they saw some derogatory information about certain people. “There are some team officials that have not received visas,” he noted. “That’s the balance we talk about.” A delicate balancing act, isn’t it?

Security, though. That remains the top priority. The White House official stressed that these travel restrictions stem from broader security planning for the whole tournament. They want this World Cup to be enjoyed by everyone. Protecting American citizens is one thing; protecting all those international visitors coming here is another.

No major threats have been found regarding the World Cup itself. But intelligence agencies are still on high alert. Giuliani said their intel community has tripled down on this since the start of the year. They’re talking about it every hour, but right now? No credible threats. Just constant discussion.

So what happens next for Iran? They face Belgium in L.A. on Sunday. Then they meet Egypt in Seattle on Friday. The plan for that Seattle fixture might change later. It depends on how things play out during the Belgium match. For now, though, Team Melli keeps traveling from Tijuana while chasing those knockout spots. Just moving around.

Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board

Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.

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