Iranian National Team Departs Tijuana for Final Group Stage Match
A crowd of supporters gathered early Saturday morning at the Marriott hotel in Tijuana, Mexico, to bid farewell to Iran's national soccer team. Fans mingled in a jubilant atmosphere, hoping to see the players and obtain autographs before the squad departed for their second group-stage match.
The hotel entrance was heavily secured, with police and members of the Mexican National Guard stationed at the barricades. Access to the facility was restricted to those with special passes or hotel reservations.
After waiting for more than two hours, the players eventually entered the lobby, where they smiled and waved to the crowd. Before boarding the bus to the Tijuana airport, each player performed a ritual of kissing a Quran and pressing their forehead against it.
The send-off occurred amid significant geopolitical tension. The Iranian team had been forced to relocate its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana following the outbreak of war. The move came after the U.S. denied visas to eleven staff members and officials, and mandated that the team leave the U.S. immediately after their matches.
Supporters in Tijuana expressed their solidarity, with some noting that showing up was important due to the unfair conditions the team faced. The atmosphere was further bolstered by a diverse group of onlookers, including Chinese flight attendants and local Tijuana residents who showed hospitality toward the squad.
Iran's presence in Mexico was facilitated by the country's existing diplomatic ties. The Iranian ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, had previously stated that the best situation for the team's games would have been to hold them in Mexico.
