India, June 16 -- Iran began its FIFA World Cup 2026 journey on Tuesday morning with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand. The Group G encounter had it all, and the fans got to witness one of the best games of the tournament so far. After a thrilling encounter at the Los Angeles Stadium, Iran's football coach Amir Ghalenoei revealed that his team were ordered to leave the US immediately and return to its training base in Mexico. However, the coach didn't say much about where the directive came from.

According to the Associated Press, Iran was expecting to spend the night in California for recovery after a gruelling game against New Zealand, but they were told they must leave immediately for the 140-mile trip back to Tijuana.

"They didn't even...