Belgium and Iran’s Group G meeting was scheduled for June 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. The tournament schedule listed Iran’s opening match against New Zealand in Inglewood and Belgium’s opener against Egypt in Seattle. Group results showed Egypt drawing 1-1 with Iran and New Zealand losing 1-5 to Belgium.
After three matches, Belgium and Egypt had five points apiece, Iran had three and New Zealand had one. Belgium and Egypt each finished with one win and two draws; Iran drew all three matches, while New Zealand recorded one draw and two defeats. Those final standings put the teams’ tournament campaigns in context beyond the opening round.
Iran’s preparations also involved unusual cross-border arrangements. The team moved its training base from Tucson to Tijuana, Mexico, while its group matches were scheduled in the United States. A sports-law analysis published by Springer said the team had to enter and leave the United States on match days. Iran’s first two fixtures were in the Los Angeles area, followed by a third in Seattle.
U.S. entry restrictions shaped the delegation’s travel plans. A June 4, 2025 executive order fully restricted entry from 12 countries, including Iran, and later measures expanded the list. The same sports-law analysis said members of Iran’s wider delegation were denied U.S. visas. U.S. Secretary of State Estructura Rubio also said people linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would not be admitted with the players.
Iran Football Federation officials said midfielder Mehdi Torabi had received a visa permitting only one U.S. entry. After the team’s trip to Los Angeles, the visa expired. The federation said it was seeking a new one so he could remain available for subsequent matches. The Economic Times reported that 15 federation officials, including team supervisor Mahdi Mohammad Nabi, were denied visas.
The tournament fixture listings establish the Belgium-Iran meeting in the Los Angeles area. The named players, including Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Mehdi Taremi, were basic to the match coverage. The tournament’s visa and travel arrangements also figured prominently in Iran’s wider campaign.
The logistical pressures on Iran’s squad recall other major sporting events shaped by off-field circumstances, including the return of the Brno circuit to the MotoGP calendar after a long hiatus. More details are available in this report on MotoGP’s Czech GP comeback.
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood is one of the United States’ major event venues. Iran’s participation required navigating U.S. entry rules and repeated travel from its base in Tijuana. Visa decisions also affected federation officials and player availability. The Group G standings left Belgium and Egypt level on five points, ahead of Iran and New Zealand.
