Iran/Mexico-FIFA World Cup/US Restrictions
Iran/Mexico-FIFA World Cup/US Restrictions
Dateline : June 24, 2026
Location : Iran;Mexico
Duration : 2'24
Tehran, Iran - June 24, 2026 (NNC - No access Chinese mainland/Israel Media/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda)
1. Various of football fans watching 2026 FIFA World Cup, cheering at cafe
2. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Artin, local resident (no full name given):
"Politics has become entangled with football, and that's exactly where it doesn't belong. At the end of the day, the people of Iran wholeheartedly stand with their nation. Yet that does nothing to reduce the political pressures weighing on both the players and the public."
3. Various of building, sign of Football Federation of Iran
Tijuana, Mexico - June 24, 2026 (NNC - No access Chinese mainland)
4. Various of Iranian national team training
Tehran, Iran - June 24, 2026 (NNC - No access Chinese mainland/Israel Media/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda)
5. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Hossein Raghfar, economist, university professor and former goalkeeper for Iran's national football team:
"Trump began threatening Iran's national football team from the very start, stating that he could not guarantee their safety. Such statements are a clear violation of international sports charters and the fundamental principles of fair play."
Tijuana, Mexico - June 24, 2026 (NNC - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Various of Iranian national team training
Tehran, Iran - June 24, 2026 (NNC - No access Chinese mainland/Israel Media/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda)
7. Various of football fans watching 2026 FIFA World Cup at cafe
8. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Mehdi, local resident (no full name given):
"The World Cup has always carried a special feeling. But this time, it comes after the war. Economic hardships are taking a heavy toll on the people, and I can't say they're in the same spirit as before. Still, the unique energy of the World Cup has always existed, and it still does."
Tijuana, Mexico - June 24, 2026 (NNC - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of Iranian national team training
Tehran, Iran - June 24, 2026 (NNC - No access Chinese mainland/Israel Media/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International/Radio Farda)
10. Various of football fans watching 2026 FIFA World Cup at cafe
11. SOUNDBITE (Farsi) Nazanin, local resident (no full name given):
"I take regular medication. And within just the past week or two, the cost has skyrocketed. It's gotten to the point where I simply can't think about anything other than that."
Tijuana, Mexico - June 24, 2026 (NNC - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Various of Iranian national team training
Iran's national football team is competing under strict U.S. travel rules at the FIFA World Cup, required to enter within 24 hours of matches and depart immediately after, measures officials say undermine its play.
Under U.S. rules, Iran's players must arrive no earlier than a day before each match and depart right after, restrictions that officials say hobble their campaign and amount to "politically biased interference," branding the squad the "most oppressed" at the World Cup.
Just before the tournament began, the U.S. granted visas to Iran's players but denied entry to several support staff, prompting the team to shift its base from Arizona in the U.S. to Tijuana, Mexico. The squad now crosses into the U.S. only on match days.
Iranian fans say the hurdles go far beyond tactics, reflecting politics intruding on the sport.
"Politics has become entangled with football, and that's exactly where it doesn't belong. At the end of the day, the people of Iran wholeheartedly stand with their nation. Yet that does nothing to reduce the political pressures weighing on both the players and the public," said Artin, a resident of Tehran, in an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on Wednesday.
The Football Federation of Iran has formally accused World Cup organizers of imposing unfair travel restrictions on its delegation.
Hossein Raghfar, an economist, university professor, and former goalkeeper for Iran's national team, described the measures as unlawful.
"Trump began threatening Iran's national football team from the very start, stating that he could not guarantee their safety. Such statements are a clear violation of international sports charters and the fundamental principles of fair play," he told CGTN.
The pressures facing the national team are a mirror of the economic burdens borne by ordinary Iranians daily. Though recently lifted, the U.S. naval blockade against the country has disrupted vital oil revenues, deepening a domestic economic crisis that has left citizens struggling to afford basic necessities.
"The World Cup has always carried a special feeling. But this time, it comes after the war. Economic hardships are taking a heavy toll on the people, and I can't say they're in the same spirit as before. Still, the unique energy of the World Cup has always existed, and it still does," said another Tehran resident.
The restrictions are just part of a larger geopolitical picture. Broader U.S. sanctions have squeezed the Islamic republic's economy for years.
The consequence is a pervasive sense of uncertainty among ordinary Iranians - a feeling that this period is less a time of peace and more a precarious pause in an unrelenting crisis.
For Nazanin, yet another Tehran resident, the crisis is felt most acutely in the rising cost of living.
"I take regular medication. And within just the past week or two, the cost has skyrocketed. It's gotten to the point where I simply can't think about anything other than that," she said.
The 2026 World Cup is the largest ever, with a record 48 teams and three host nations - Mexico, Canada, and the United States - welcoming the world from June 11 to July 19.
ID : 8486475
Published : 2026-06-26 17:26
Last Modified : 2026-06-26 19:03:29
Source : Other
Restrictions : See shotlist
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