Iran's World Cup team coach says it was ordered to leave the U.S. and return to its training base in Mexico only a few hours after opening its politically charged tournament with a draw.

After a World Cup journey hampered by war, visa restrictions and a warning from President Trump, Iran manages to play New Zealand to a draw in its opener.

The Iran national team arrived at LA Stadium one day in advance of their FIFA World Cup opener Monday against New Zealand. That's standard in the World Cup, but it almost wasn't the case for the Iranians -- and they were not happy about it.

Iran’s World Cup opener against New Zealand ends in a draw after their national anthem was booed by spectators at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Iran’s soccer team arrived in Mexico’s Tijuana city on Sunday – a stone’s throw from the US border – as Tehran criticized Washington over its visa restrictions.

While the U.S. has rejected the Iran soccer team, forcing them to train in Tijuana during this world cup, the border city has rolled out a welcome for a squad caught between sport and geopolitics.

Iranian forward Sardar Azmoun is not at the 2026 World Cup despite being arguably the best player in the country. Here's why.

Iran's football federation on Saturday condemned the move by the US government to deny several members of the Iranian team's managerial and executive staff US visas ahead of the 2026 World Cup. In a statement published on its website,

As part of a special World Cup series, The Athletic is speaking to fans of all 48 competing nations to capture their unique football culture

Iran’s World Cup has been a story of closed doors, but one of them has finally swung open for Mehdi Torabi. The winger looked set to spend the rest of the group stage stranded at the team’s camp across the border in Tijuana — his single-entry US visa already spent.