Team Melli Receives Warm Tijuana Sendoff Before World Cup Opener
Team Melli departed Tijuana for Los Angeles with strong support from fans ahead of its opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Iran’s national football team left its Tijuana base camp on Sunday to a warm and energetic sendoff ahead of its World Cup opener against New Zealand in Los Angeles.
Supporters gathered outside the team hotel, chanting “Team Melli” as the players emerged and made their way toward the team bus.
Fans waved Iranian flags through the fencing, while many players, dressed in navy blue polo shirts and beige trousers, smiled and waved back at the crowd.
One supporter held a sign reading, “Iran, you will never walk alone. Mexico stands with you,” while the crowd at one point sang in Spanish, “Iran, brother, you are Mexican now.”
The sendoff highlighted the warm reception Team Melli has received in Tijuana, where the team has been based after moving its World Cup camp from Arizona to Mexico late last month.
Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj was also seen outside the hotel as the players departed, with some supporters following the bus down the street as it drove away.
The scene came one day before Iran’s Group G opener against New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium, a match being played amid heightened political tension between Iran and the United States.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei and striker Mehdi Taremi were scheduled to take part in a pre-match press conference in Los Angeles later Sunday.
Iran will face New Zealand on June 15 before continuing Group G play against Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.