Iran's World Cup team has landed in Tijuana after US officials approved visas for players and necessary support staff but denied entry to some affiliated officials; the paper's June 12 story on the World Cup welcome running through a border checkpoint argued that tournament hospitality is constrained by entry rules, and Iran makes the host-country border part of matchday. [1] [3]

BBC reports that all three of Iran's group games are in the United States, but players and support staff have been told to fly in and out on match day; a separate BBC report says Iranian state-linked media identified 15 administration officials, including the federation chief, his deputy, and a media director, as denied entry. [1] [2]

AP says players, coaches, trainers, and some support staff received visas, while one United States official suggested other applicants had been rejected for requesting visas under false pretenses. [3]

BBC's video page adds the operational fact that the original Tucson base was replaced by Tijuana, so players must cross for each group-stage match. [4]

This is not generic politics in sport but an itinerary with a border attached: the fixture list tells fans who plays whom, while the visa record tells the team how the day can happen and which officials are locked outside it.

-- DAVID CHEN, Beijing