Iran moves camp from Arizona to Mexico, clearing path to play in World Cup - BERITAJA

Iran is moving its World Cup training guidelines from Tucson, Ariz., to Tijuana, the president of the country’s shot federation said Saturday, removing 1 of the last hurdles to its information successful this summer’s tournament.

Iran is scheduled to unfastened World Cup play astatine SoFi Stadium, facing New Zealand connected June 15. It will play Belgium successful Inglewood six days later earlier finishing the group shape against Egypt successful Seattle. But location had been questions complete the Iranian team’s information successful the U.S. aft American and Israeli attacks connected the state began about 4 months ago.

This World Cup will beryllium the first successful which a qualifying squad will play successful a big state pinch which it was astatine war. In March, soon aft the warfare began, Iranian officials began to mobility whether they should recreation to the U.S. for the tourney — doubts that accrued aft President Trump posted connected societal media to opportunity he did not judge it was due for Iran to travel “for their ain life and safety.”

Because the World Cup is being shared pinch Mexico and Canada, Iran requested support to move its guidelines crossed the border, a petition Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, said Saturday had been granted.

FIFA, the World Cup organizer, did not instantly corroborate to move.

“All squad guidelines camps for the countries participating successful the World Cup must beryllium approved [by] FIFA,” Taj said successful his connection obtained by the Associated Press. “Fortunately, pursuing the requests we submitted and the meetings we held pinch FIFA and World Cup officials successful Istanbul, arsenic good arsenic the webinar gathering we had yesterday successful Tehran pinch the respected FIFA caput general, our petition to alteration the team’s guidelines from the United States to Mexico was approved.”

Iran’s federation said moving the guidelines campy will resoluteness imaginable visa issues since the squad will participate the U.S. done Mexico. Taj that the squad “may moreover beryllium capable to recreation to and from Mexico utilizing Iran Air flights.”

Tijuana is about 50 minutes by aerial from LAX, about 55 minutes quicker than a formation from Tucson. Iranians person been banned by the U.S. authorities from receiving visas to participate the U.S., though exceptions are to beryllium made for athletes, coaches, and support unit progressive successful the World Cup.