Recommendations of the Editorial team
While our “Loddar Maddeus” is upset about the dry grass in the USA, the Iranian delegation should be happy if they even come close to the underwatered green. Because the negotiations between Iran and the USA are more than just dry. Around six days before the start of the World Cup, Iran sent drones towards the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump responded with missiles. Israel is also sending missiles towards Iran, Iran towards Israel. According to Trump, an agreement at the negotiating table is not far away. In the US they call it “the art of the deal”.
Yes, entry – but please leave immediately
An equally interesting deal now seems to have struck the Iranian football team. The players are allowed to enter the USA for their games, but have to leave the same day. And while players will be allowed to attend the games, some Iranian Football Association delegation members simply have not been issued visas.
The Iranian team is currently camped in Mexico and must play all three World Cup group games in the USA. The attempt to move the games to the other two host countries, Mexico and Canada, failed – FIFA saw no significant problem in view of the ongoing war. Finally, Trump was also awarded the FIFA Peace Prize.
The fact is: As of June 8, 2026, the Iranian players have to leave the country on the same match day. The first two preliminary round games – on June 16th against New Zealand and on June 21st against Belgium – will take place in Los Angeles. Since these games are scheduled at 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m. local time, the team can still leave the USA in time: absurd, but doable. Immediately after the games, there would be a 200 km, approximately two-hour bus ride to the team headquarters in Tijuana, Mexico, near the border. It’s good that there is a drinking break after 22 minutes in all World Cup games – otherwise you could easily talk about distortion of competition.
Seattle: The game that doesn’t add up mathematically
Things get more interesting with the game in Seattle. On June 27, the Iranian team will face Egypt at 8:00 p.m. local time. Since a game lasts at least two hours, Iran’s players had a whopping two hours to leave the country. You don’t know exactly how, but with a flight time of over three hours, it would be almost impossible to get to the team headquarters on time – even if the cleats are still on and the plane takes off from the field. It remains unclear whether the US will advise Iran to take a detour via closer Canada or whether ICE officials have already organized a direct deportation flight.
But let’s rather talk about the fact that Lennart Kahl is out for the World Cup and that Sané is becoming an issue again.