Iran's challenges at World Cup swirl outside draw with Belgium

Iran took another important step toward advancing in the World Cup, but once again the off-the-field play dominated the conversation

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Iran took another step toward advancing in the World Cup on Sunday, but once again the off-the-field play dominated the conversation.

At the match's conclusion, at least one attendee wearing a pre-revolutionary flag shirt was detained for trying to run onto the pitch. And afterward, though demonstrations were quieter than Monday's, an Associated Press reporter observed a fan who got into a scuffle with protesters being loaded into an ambulance.

But before the match had even kicked off, U.S. Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said Sunday that the Iranians had “tried to get somebody in yesterday” who had direct ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. In a statement, the soccer federation vociferously pushed back.

“The claim that an official representative of the Iranian Football Federation attempted to board a flight to enter the United States yesterday and was prevented from doing so is an outright and undeniable lie,” the statement said.

Mullin told Fox News that most teams travel with around 120 people, but the U.S. had accepted 53 in Iran's case. He said the rest of the people Iran had tried to secure visas for had “direct ties to the IRGC and aren’t their normal traveling group.” The federation called Mullin's claims “completely unsupported by any evidence or documentation, but also represent a clear attempt to cover up discriminatory behavior and unreasonable restrictions.”

That statement echoed Iran's complaints throughout the tournament that politics have infringed on soccer, even as U.S. Vice President JD Vance said there was an opportunity to “turn over a new leaf” with talks beginning in Switzerland on the interim deal to end the war. Iran’s players and coach have complained about shuttling to and from Mexico instead of Tucson, Arizona, and the barring of some officials and staff, and the federation has said it would pursue a complaint against FIFA.

Iranian national team player Alireza Jahanbakhsh said after the match that he doesn’t want to keep focusing on the challenging situation, and that players are now focused on recovery and preparing to travel to Seattle for the next game, against Egypt. He said he hopes the team can head there as soon as possible to adapt.

“We don’t ask for much. We just ask for the same procedure as for all the other 47 teams,” he said. “Hopefully we can bring everyone who is involved and help us with us.”

At the stadium near Los Angeles, fans wearing green-and-red scarves, stickers and T-shirts were mixed on the impact of the team's shift to train across the border in Mexico . Some said the team was unfairly burdened, while others who followed the team to Tijuana were thrilled to get closer access to the players.

Shamira Ghaemmaghami, 66, of nearby Orange County, said she was supporting the players from her native Iran and also from Belgium. She said she respects the right of protesters to voice their opinions but feels sports should unite people, not separate them.

“Fighting over these things, sports and politics should not be mixed,” she said. “They worked so hard to get where they are, both sides, actually.”

Outside the stadium, a few hundred people demonstrated against Iran's government. Aside from some verbal altercations and the scuffle after the match, the protests were smaller than at Iran's first game and featured more security from the outset. Inside, some fans carried the red-and-green flags emblazoned with a golden lion and sun that predate the 1979 Islamic Revolution — a flag that seemed at least as visible as the official flag of Iran itself. They were also joined by a sizable crowd of Belgium fans wearing red and yellow and those donning jerseys from countries including Argentina, the U.S. and Mexico.

Gerald Martinez, 66, of Tucson, wore a green Iran scarf. While not Iranian, he and his son decided to support the team when they initially announced they'd be training in their hometown.

“I wish they were all here. I wish they were welcome,” Martinez said, adding he felt the team was suffering a disadvantage.

Stefan Arts, 42, traveled from Antwerp, Belgium, and said he's met many people who were Iranian but supporting his country’s team instead. That's how Arman Sharif, 40, of Los Angeles, feels. He was outside the stadium to protest and said he feels the players are allied with the government in Tehran.

“Whoever it is, we're a fan of the opponents,” Sharif said.

Associated Press reporters Ty ONeil, Gregory Bull and Andrew Dalton in Inglewood, California; Gabriela Aoun Angueira in San Diego and Thomas Strong in Washington contributed to this report.

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

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