Iran arrive Sunday ahead of Tuesday World Cup opener

Iran face New Zealand on Tuesday at 3am in their World Cup opener, with the squad expected to arrive at camp on Sunday. The team has been preparing from Tijuana, Mexico, after diplomatic pressure from the United States forced the relocation of their originally planned base in Tucson, Arizona. Visa delays for some support staff have added to the disruption, and the Iran Football Federation has labelled the situation as political interference in sport. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei must now settle his players quickly with just two full days before the match.