The Iran national football team arrived in the USA on Sunday, June 24, for the first time during the 2026 World Cup. This arrival came as the team flew in from their training camp in Tijuana, Mexico, landing at Los Angeles International Airport. The Iran national football team is set to play their first match in Group 7 against New Zealand on Tuesday night. The match takes place under heightened security around the players' accommodation, with police blocking parts of the streets surrounding the hotel.

Head coach Amir Ghalenoei and key player Mehdi Taremi were scheduled to attend a pre-match press conference on Sunday evening. The arrival of the Iran team comes amid the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between the USA and Iran, which has overshadowed all aspects of Iran's participation in the World Cup. Following joint attacks by the USA and Israel, Iran had moved its training camp from Arizona to Mexico.

The announced agreement between the two countries is set to be signed in Switzerland on Friday. Concurrently with the arrival of the Iran team in Los Angeles, a group of Iranian regime opponents gathered near the stadium where the match will take place. Protesters, holding the Lion and Sun flag and placards with slogans against the Islamic Republic, called for democracy in Iran.

This match marks the first time in World Cup history that one of the host countries is at war with one of the participating nations during the tournament. Los Angeles, which will host two of Iran's matches, also has the largest Iranian community outside of Iran.