Iran soccer star Mehdi Torabi's visa had expired after a single visit to the United States for the team's World Cup opener in Los Angeles the Iran Football Federation (FFIRI) said on Tuesday. Torabi, an unused substitute in Monday's 2-2 draw with New Zealand, is an ardent supporter of the Iranian government and has links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Reuters reported.
The Iran national team are commuting from their tournament base in the Mexican border city of Tijuana for their three World Cup group-stage matches, the first two in Los Angeles and the third in Seattle.