The Iranian national team landed in Los Angeles on Sunday, the day before its opening match against New Zealand. The arrival comes amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
The Team Melli plane touched down around 1 p.m. local time at Los Angeles International Airport after a 40-minute flight from Tijuana. FIFA required the arrival by Sunday to meet media obligations.
A peace agreement announced Sunday by Pakistan ended military operations in the Middle East, including Lebanon, creating a calmer atmosphere for Monday’s match at SoFi Stadium.
The team is scheduled to hold a press conference at 3:45 p.m. at the stadium. Part of Los Angeles’s Iranian diaspora, estimated at 500,000 people, has planned protests against the regime.
The French team arrived nearly an hour late in New York, where it will face Senegal on Tuesday.
