Iran World Cup staff travels to Mexico with US visas reportedly denied for a number of workers | World Cup 2026

A diplomatic confrontation has damaged out over the US visa standing for a number of members of Iran’s 2026 World Cup delegation with simply days to go till the beginning of the event, and on the day the staff itself departed to Mexico to open its camp forward of the competitors.

Iran have educated and performed closed-door matches over the past three weeks in Antalya, Turkey, whereas diplomats have labored to safe visas for his or her entry to the United States, the place the staff will play all three of their group-stage video games. Those visas had been accepted on 5 June for Iran’s gamers and a few workers, however Iranian state media and diplomats reported that very same day that a number of of the staff’s assist workers have been neglected together with the Iranian soccer federation chief Mehdi Taj.

A US state division official issued the identical remark Saturday to a number of media shops, claiming that “the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued.”

The official added: “We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses.”

Earlier Saturday, the Iranian embassy in Turkey responded forcefully to a tweet from US ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, celebrating his workers’s work in issuing the visas and claiming that “sport transcends borders”.

The Iranian embassy claimed in its assertion, issued by way of quote tweet, that visas had been denied to a “large portion of the managerial and executive staff, technical advisers, and others who are an integral part of any national football team”.

“You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran’s national football team to its highest level,” the embassy’s assertion continued. “The US government in practice is depriving Iran’s national team of its right to play in the World Cup under normal conditions and without undue pressure and stress.”

Iran’s semi-official information company Tasnim reported that those that had not ​obtained visas included three Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) officers: government director Mehdi Kharati, secretary normal Hedayat Mombini and media director Mohsen Motamedkia.

Staff members with out visas ​would journey to Mexico with the staff whereas efforts to acquire visas proceed, the company stated.

The FFIRI stated the ⁠habits of co-hosts the US “contradicts international sports laws” and it might take up the matter with soccer’s world governing physique Fifa.

“The US government, continuing its hostile actions ​against the national team … made a non-sporting and completely political decision to refuse visas for key managerial and administrative members of the Iranian national football team,” it ​stated in a press release reported by Iran’s state media.

“This issue will definitely be pursued by the Football Federation through Fifa.

“As the responsible body, [Fifa] has the duty to follow up and finalise the visas for the managerial, executive, technical, and support staff of the Iranian national team who are currently in camp and whom the national team urgently needs.”

There remains to be vital uncertainty regarding how the Iranian nationwide staff will logistically be capable of transfer via the event. Iran had initially deliberate to arrange its base camp in Tucson, Arizona, however made a change in May to as an alternative prepare in Tijuana, Mexico, owing to the uncertainty of their immigration standing.

Iran are scheduled to play all of their matches within the United States, with group-stage video games in Los Angeles in opposition to New Zealand on 15 June and in opposition to Belgium on 21 June, and in Seattle in opposition to Egypt on 26 June.

Iran’s ambassador to Mexico stated Saturday the squad had been notified that beneath the situations of their visas, the staff should enter and depart US soil on the identical day as their matches.

“We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day,” Iran’s envoy Abolfazl Pasandideh informed reporters.

That went in opposition to what the staff’s spokesman Amir Mahdi Alavi informed state TV earlier.

“The visas issued for the national team are multiple-entry visas, and the national team will arrive at the match venue one day before the first game and, for the following games, two days prior to each match,” Alavi stated.

Fifa guidelines for World Cups stipulate {that a} staff’s coach should give a press convention on the eve of the match on the venue the place the sport might be performed.

Fifa has been approached for remark by the Guardian.