Peace at Last? Iran’s Team Plays Tonight
Iran takes the field against New Zealand tonight in Southern California, just one day after the United States and Iran reached a framework for a peace deal to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
NBC News described the lead-up to Iran’s campaign as a “highly fraught buildup”. The team’s training camp was relocated away from the United States after the war began, and several members of Iran’s entourage were denied visas, with US officials citing “false pretences”, according to ABC News.
The political weight does not end at kickoff. The Iranian team is expected to fly straight back to Tijuana, Mexico, immediately following the match, after the Trump administration denied the squad permission for an overnight stay in the US.
Iran will face an 85th-ranked New Zealand side in Inglewood, backed by what is expected to be a fiercely supportive local crowd. New Zealand enters the tournament off the back of a rough run of form, having lost a friendly to Haiti 4-0.
The Iran-New Zealand game caps off a stacked World Cup slate today, which also features:
- Spain vs. Cape Verde at 11 a.m.
- Belgium vs. Egypt at 2 p.m.
- Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay at 5 p.m
- Iran vs. New Zealand at 8 p.m.
All in Belize time.