The U.S. has issued visas to the Iranian national soccer team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America. However, the decision to deny visas to officials other than the players has sparked controversy.
On June 6, the Iranian media outlet Tasnim reported that the U.S. government has issued visas to the Iranian players. However, it has denied visas to 12 key officials, including team manager Mehdi Mohammadnavi, Iranian Football Federation Secretary General Hedayat Mombini, and Operations Committee Chairman Mehdi Karati, as well as media representatives and performance analysts.
While the players can enter the U.S. without issue, the Iranian side is strongly protesting the decision, arguing that a team cannot compete in the World Cup with only players.
The Iranian Embassy in Turkey expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the U.S. is not disclosing the fact that it has denied visas to personnel essential for Iran’s World Cup operations.
The Iranian squad plans to first travel to their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico—where they have secured visas—and then reapply for U.S. visas locally.
The Iranian national soccer team is facing a difficult time ahead of the World Cup.
Relations between Iran and the U.S. have cooled since last February, when the U.S. and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran, killing dozens of leaders, including Supreme Leader Khamenei, and this has affected the Iranian national team’s World Cup participation.
Iran had initially designated Tucson, Arizona, as its World Cup base camp, but due to the aftermath of the war, it changed the base camp to Tijuana, Mexico, which is located near the U.S. border.
Ten days from now, on June 16, Iran will play its first group stage match against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.