When they did that, we decided to make sure we could have the US Department of Homeland Security meet them in Tijuana, so we could adjudicate and make sure that everybody who was coming on the plane, who had visas, was actually on there," said Giuliani.
The tight schedule required the squad to fly into Los Angeles on short notice and return to Mexico immediately after the final whistle blew.
"We told them they could come in the day before the match, for Los Angeles matches, because it's a 27-minute flight.
Not that long at all, and that they would have to leave the day of the match," explained Giuliani.
Giuliani dismissed assertions that these flight schedules placed an unfair physical burden on the professional athletes.
"Again, a 27-minute flight, not a big deal. Here, NFL teams fly all across the country," said Giuliani.
When interrupted by Jordan, who noted that no other participating nation faced similar regulatory hurdles during the expanded 48-team tournament, the official briefly lost his temper.
"Let me finish here," shouted Giuliani.
He further clarified that accommodations were adjusted slightly depending on the total travel distance to venues located further north.
"With Seattle, a three-hour flight, we gave them a second day," stated Giuliani.
The executive director explicitly alleged that specific members of the delegation had deeply concerning geopolitical affiliations.
"They were handled that way because they were the only team putting in people with visas that had direct ties to terrorist organizations," asserted Giuliani.
