Alireza Jahanbakhsh touched his forehead to the Quran as he left the Tijuana Marriott in Tijuana, Mexico, on Saturday, June 20, 2026, with several dozen fans gathered to see the Iran national soccer team before its second group-stage World Cup match. The scene came after the team was moved from Tucson, Arizona, and into a tighter hotel setup under heavy security.
Fans were able to get inside only with a hotel reservation or special permission, and the entrance to the Marriott in Tijuana was barricaded and flanked by police and members of the Mexican National Guard. That did not stop supporters from waiting inside the hotel and along the gates as the players came and went.
Ali Eslami at the gates
Ali Eslami has been back at the hotel gates nearly every day since the team landed on June 7. He said, “It’s the best pleasure for me. I wished them the best luck, I told them it’s hard but they’re doing excellent things,” and added, “I have been in America for 50 years — this has been the most emotional thing, to see the team that I have not seen in 50 years.”
Lucas Zarrabi was among the supporters inside the hotel. “I wanted to come down to support Iranian soccer, and cheer for them when they exited the building and make them happy,” he said. He attended Monday's 2-2 draw with New Zealand and had a ticket for Sunday's match against Belgium.
Iran federation pressure
The support at the hotel came with a separate problem hanging over the trip. Iran's Football Federation said 11 team officials and staff members did not receive U.S. visas, the U.S. denied Iran's request to arrive 2 days before matches, and the team must leave immediately after the game. Hedayat Mombeini said Friday that “Football shouldn’t lose its power to politics,” and that the restrictions “are certainly having a negative effect on us, but we are trying to overcome these problems with our Iranian pride.”
Abbas Eftekhari said, “Every little technicality is making it difficult for the team,” and warned, “I think this is going to drain them psychologically and also physically.” He also said, “As soon as they see that their countrymen have slogans against them, it also has a negative psychological effect on them. But, that’s how things are at this time,” after Iran's first match.
That first match included fans and protesters who clashed, and Eftekhari worried the mood around it hurt the players. With Iran now based in Tijuana and supporters still showing up in force, the next problem is whether the federation follows through with the complaint it said it would lodge with FIFA.
Gabriela Aoun Angueira
