After months of speculation, Iran 's FIFA World Cup journey has officially begun.
On Monday, Amir Ghalenoei's squad kicked off their campaign with a thrilling 2-2 tie against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium. Before kickoff in Inglewood, however, Iranian supporters gathered outside the venue to demonstrate against Iran's regime, displaying pre-revolution flags as a symbol of their opposition.
During the match, Iran battled back twice to secure a 2-2 tie with New Zealand, with Mohammad Mohebi and Ramin Rezaeian finding the net after Elijah Just 's double for the Kiwis. After the final whistle, Iran's National Team expressed frustration over being required to depart the U.S. immediately for their training base in Tijuana, Mexico .
Iran drew their FIFA World Cup opener with New Zealand 2-2 on Monday -Credit:Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
This represents just another complication Ghalenoei's squad has encountered during the early stages of the World Cup.
Just days before their tournament opener, local officials in Tijuana also revealed they had discovered a decomposing corpse inside a vehicle stationed near Iran's World Cup preparation facility, as per The Mirror US .
The remains were found in a grocery store parking lot situated directly across from Iran's compound. The vehicle had apparently sat abandoned for multiple days before law enforcement responded to complaints about a foul odor emanating from within the trunk of the gray Toyota SUV.
"Upon inspecting the vehicle [which had been there since Wednesday, June 3], they found a person wrapped in a black bag in the truck, showing signs of violence," authorities said in an initial statement. The victim's identity remains undisclosed, with investigators continuing to work on establishing the circumstances surrounding the death.
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According to the Citizens' Council of Public Security, Tijuana ranks among Mexico's 10 most dangerous cities. Last year, local authorities documented 1,219 homicides in the city, home to more than 2.3 million residents.
Beyond the body's discovery, Iran's pre-tournament preparations were also disrupted by ongoing tensions between the nation and the U.S.
Iran originally intended to establish its training camp in Arizona, but ended up relocating to Mexico due to visa and travel restrictions impacting members of its delegation. Multiple Iranian federation officials and support staff were refused visas to enter the U.S., prompting FIFA and the World Cup tournament organizers to authorize a switch to a Mexico-based training camp for the group stage.
After its draw against New Zealand, Iran is scheduled to face Belgium and Egypt on Sunday, June 21, and Friday, June 26, respectively.
Like New Zealand and Iran, Belgium and Egypt drew their World Cup opener, with that match in Seattle ending 1-1.
