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Visa dispute flares
Iran accused the United States of denying visas to “integral” members of Iran’s national football team’s backroom staff hours after Washington confirmed Iranian players had been given permission to travel to the upcoming World Cup.
“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”
The BBC reported that U.S. officials said visas had been issued to all players and “necessary support staff” on Friday, 10 days before Iran’s opening fixture in Los Angeles on 15 June.
Iran’s embassy in Turkey said the U.S. was engaging in “politically biased interference in sport” by denying visas to a “large portion of the managerial and executive staff” and “technical advisers.”
The dispute unfolded as the team set off from its training base in Turkey on Saturday en route to Mexico, where it is expected to land in the early hours of Sunday after a 20-hour flight.
The BBC also said the squad would have to enter and leave the United States on the same day as their matches under the conditions of their visas, with Iran’s ambassador to Mexico describing the U.S. announcement as a “whitewash.”
Embassy and Rubio clash
Iran’s embassy in Turkey responded to the U.S. ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack by asking, “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?”
Politico framed the exchange as a diplomatic standoff, quoting the embassy’s claim that the U.S. had “depriving Iran’s national team of its right to play in the World Cup under normal conditions and without undue pressure and stress.”
The U.S. State Department said in a statement that “the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued.”
ABC News reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers the administration would not allow Iran to “embed in their delegation a bunch of people that we know have nothing to do with athletics and have ties to the IRGC.”
ABC News added that Rubio said the administration would “watch that very closely,” while the Iranian embassy’s account on X insisted the visas were denied to a “large portion” of the team’s support staff just days before the competition began.
Group games and next steps
Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s embassy to Turkiye said a “large” number of key staff had been denied visas even as Iranian players received visas late on Friday, with Washington’s envoy Tom Barrack hailing “processing visas for Iran’s national football team.”
“Iran says staff blocked from entering US after players given World Cup visas 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”
Al Jazeera named Mehdi Taj as among those said to have been denied visas, alongside Director Mehdi Kharati, the secretary-general of the federation Hedayat Mombini, and Media Director Mohsen Motamedkia.
Al Jazeera said staff members without visas would travel to Mexico with the team while efforts to obtain visas continue, and that Iran’s football federation said the behavior of cohosts the U.S. “contradicts international sports laws” and would be taken up with FIFA.
The BBC reported that Iran’s opening fixture is in Los Angeles on 15 June, and that Iran are due to play Belgium in California and Egypt in Seattle in their other two group games.
ABC News said the team is scheduled to arrive in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday and take on New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles, while also noting that FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed in April that Iran would play in the tournament, including in the U.S.
