Iran calls Mexico an off-field winner of this World Cup.

The Iranian authorities have released a statement to the media, accusing the US of not fulfilling its responsibilities as the host of the World Cup, and announcing that Mexico is the winner off the field in this tournament. Mohammad Reza Gilani, cultural affairs advisor at the Iranian Embassy in Mexico, said: "The competition for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is not only happening on the field, but also on the streets, airports, and public squares. In this parallel competition, Mexico is clearly leading the pack." Gilani praised Mexico for showing a welcoming and friendly atmosphere to foreign fans, contrasting it with the various entry issues caused by the US - complicated visa procedures, restricted entry inspections, which have deeply affected many participating teams including the Iranian delegation. This statement comes at a delicate moment in US-Iran relations: just a week ago, the US as the host country and Iran as a participating team were the only pair in this World Cup in a state of conflict. After Iran's first group stage match, the US President, Trump, and the Iranian President had signed a memorandum of understanding to end the conflict between the two countries. However, tensions still remain between the two countries off the field. Iran's team had to relocate their training base from Tucson in the US to Tijuana in Mexico; the Iranian Football Association revealed on Thursday that they plan to formally appeal to FIFA about the US restricting their travel arrangements: the team had applied to travel to Los Angeles two days early to prepare for the match against Belgium on Sunday, but the US rejected their request. In addition, several Iranian delegation members had their visa applications rejected by the US State Department. The Trump administration defended the US's arrangements for the Iranian delegation. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup Special Working Group, said that 31 Iranian players and coaches had been successfully granted visas; he also stated that allowing the team to enter the US one day before the match was a gesture of goodwill from the US.