Iran has accused the United States of preventing several key members of its national football team’s support staff from attending the upcoming FIFA World Cup, despite American authorities approving travel documents for players and selected personnel.
The dispute emerged after US officials confirmed that visas had been granted to Iran’s football squad and what they described as “necessary support staff” ahead of the team’s opening World Cup match in Los Angeles on June 15.
However, US authorities also stated that the visa process would not be used to allow individuals with security concerns to enter the country under the guise of participating in the tournament.
In response, Iran’s embassy in Turkey criticized Washington’s decision, accusing the US of using politics to interfere in international sport. Iranian officials claimed that a significant number of managerial staff, executives and technical advisers had been denied visas.
The embassy rejected the US explanation, describing it as an attempt to conceal what it called discriminatory treatment of Iran’s national team. Officials argued that the restrictions represent an escalation in measures targeting the country’s participation in the competition.
Iran has urged FIFA, football’s governing body, to examine the situation and take action regarding the alleged visa denials.
Reports from Iranian state-linked media indicated that senior figures within the country’s football federation, including the federation president and his deputy, were among those refused entry into the United States.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is scheduled to begin on June 11. Iran secured qualification in March 2025 after finishing at the top of its qualifying group.
The tournament will mark a rare situation in which a host nation welcomes a team representing a country with which it is engaged in an active conflict.
As preparations continued, Iran relocated its training camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Mexico in late May.
Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that individuals connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would not be permitted to join the country’s World Cup delegation.
Some members of Iran’s squad have previously completed mandatory military service associated with the IRGC, a powerful branch of Iran’s armed forces.
Following their opening match in Los Angeles, Iran is also scheduled to face Belgium in California and Egypt in Seattle during the group stage of the tournament.
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