Iran beat Mali in last World Cup warm-up before heading to Tijuana
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ANTALYA, Turkey, June 5 : Iran will head off to their World Cup base this weekend with a spring in their step after beating Mali 2-0 in a friendly in Turkey on Thursday, even if some uncertainty still clouds their participation in the tournament.
Goals from midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi and right back Ramin Rezaeian either side of halftime gave Team Melli a record of three wins and a single loss in their four friendlies this year in the Turkish resort city of Antalya.
The friendlies are the only competitive football the Iran-based players have played since the domestic league was suspended after U.S. and Israeli air strikes on the Islamic Republic in late February that triggered a regional war.
The squad have received visas for Mexico, officials confirmed this week, and will leave Turkey on Saturday for their tournament base in the border city of Tijuana.
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Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to host the squad after being told that the U.S. authorities did not want Iran staying in their original base in Arizona throughout the June 11 to July 19 tournament.
The squad have not yet received their visas for the United States to play their group games against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle, however.
Iranian FA (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj said the U.S. visas were the main concern for the federation as Iran's tournament opener against New Zealand approaches on June 15.
"Visas for Mexico are ready and there are no issues there. Our national football team has to go to Tijuana in Mexico tomorrow," Taj was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency.
"Whatever is supposed to happen will become clear today. We've told FIFA that if they do not issue visas for the players or the technical team and others, it is possible that we will take other decisions."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday there was "no problem" with the Iran squad entering the country, but Washington would not let officials or staff with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accompany them.
Both the U.S. and Canada, who are co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico, classify the IRGC as a "terrorist entity."
Taj was refused entry into Canada for the FIFA Congress in late April because of his links to the elite military force.
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