Iran Accuses United States of Blocking World Cup Staff Before 2026 Campaign

Iran accused the United States of blocking key football staff ahead of the 2026 World Cup, even as American authorities confirmed that players and essential support staff have been cleared to travel.

“Iran World Cup players granted visas to enter the US, official says A "large portion" of their support staff were denied visas, Iran officials say”

ABC News

The dispute erupted just days before Iran’s national football team was due to begin its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign, with Iran’s embassy in Turkey saying Washington was unfairly targeting the country’s football delegation.

ABC News

The disagreement followed US officials announcing that visas had been issued to Iran’s players and what they described as ‘necessary support staff,’ while Iranian officials said a significant number of individuals who play key roles behind the scenes were left out.

Iran’s planning was affected enough that the team abandoned its intended training base in Tucson, Arizona and relocated to the Mexican border city of Tijuana, from where the squad would travel to the United States for group-stage fixtures.

Iran opens its campaign in Los Angeles against the New Zealand national football team on 15 June before facing the Belgium national football team on 21 June, with its final group match scheduled against the Egypt national football team in Seattle on 27 June.

Iran’s embassy in Turkey challenged the US account directly, posting on X, “Why do you not say that visas were 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?”

The embassy added that the US had “escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran’s national football team to its highest level,” as the row played out while the squad prepared to leave Turkiye for Mexico.

Al Jazeera

A White House official told Reuters on Friday that the Iranian players taking part in the 2026 World Cup have obtained entry visas to the United States, and the embassy’s dispute centered on whether key administrators and advisers were also cleared.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Tuesday that the United States would not allow Iran to include in its delegation people linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and he said the administration would watch closely to prevent embedding people with ties to the IRGC.

Iran’s football federation said the behaviour of co-hosts the US “contradicts international sports laws” and it would take up the matter with FIFA, as FIFA was not immediately available for comment.

With the visa uncertainty affecting travel planning, Iran’s team headed to Mexico as the players were to leave Turkiye for Mexico, and Tasnim said staff members without visas would travel to Mexico while efforts to obtain documents continued.

“- Published Iran has accused the US of denying visas to "integral" members of its national football team's backroom staff, hours after Washington confirmed Iranian players had been given permission to travel to the upcoming World Cup”

BBC

The team was based in the northwestern border city of Tijuana for the duration of the tournament, but all three of their group stage matches were due to be held in the United States.

Al Jazeera reported that the Iranian players received their visas late on Friday, while Iranian news outlets said those who did not receive a visa included Iran’s football federation chief Mehdi Taj and Director Mehdi Kharati, the secretary-general of the federation, Hedayat Mombini, and Media Director Mohsen Motamedkia.

The stakes were framed in terms of whether the entire delegation could travel and compete as scheduled, with the FIFA World Cup beginning on June 11 and Iran’s group-stage matches set for Los Angeles and Seattle.

In parallel, the US position was tied to security vetting, with a White House official telling VOA Farsi that the United States would not permit the team “to abuse this system and secretly bring terrorists into the United States under false pretenses.”