Iran take centre stage at World Cup as Spain make bow

Iran's World Cup campaign begins Monday under a cloud of political tension and uncertainty, with the team arriving in Los Angeles after a troubled build-up. The squad faces New Zealand at the SoFi Stadium, just a day after touching down in California.

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We are here to perform a good match, a high-quality match. We don't pay attention to any of the hype and anything that goes on around us.

Preparations for the tournament have been significantly impacted by political tensions and visa issues stemming from U.S.-Iran relations. The team's training base was switched from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, at the last minute due to visa complications, with U.S. authorities denying entry to several delegation members.

Adding to the charged atmosphere, members of the Iranian diaspora opposed to the nation's hardline regime plan protests outside the stadium. There are also threats that the Iranian team might walk off the pitch if anti-government banners are displayed during the Group G match.

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Naturally, all teams have their own problems, and in many countries, many things happen that have nothing to do with football.

Despite the external pressures, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei stated his team's focus is on playing a high-quality match. "We are here to perform a good match, a high-quality match. We don't pay attention to any of the hype and anything that goes on around us," Ghalenoei said. He emphasized that the team aims to "represent the respectful people of Iran, be it the Iranians inside Iran or the Iranian diaspora," adding, "We are not political people ... football is separate from politics."

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We are here to represent the respectful people of Iran, be it the Iranians inside Iran or the Iranian diaspora.

In other World Cup news, European champions Spain will also launch their campaign on Monday against Cape Verde, who are making their World Cup debut. Spain, considered tournament favorites, boast a talented squad, with coach Luis de la Fuente confidently calling them "the best team in the world."

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We are not political people ... football is separate from politics.