Iran World Cup team travels to Mexico amid US visa refusals
Iran's 2026 World Cup squad departed for Tijuana, Mexico, after arriving at Antalya airport. The move comes as a diplomatic dispute over US visas for several members of the delegation intensifies.
Iran trained and played closed-door matches in Antalya over the past three weeks. Visas were approved on 5 June for the players and some staff, but Iranian state media said several support staff were left out, including federation chief Mehdi Taj.
A US state department official told media that visas for athletes and necessary support staff have been issued. The official added that the United States will not allow the team to use the system to bring terrorists into the country.
The Iranian embassy in Turkey responded to a tweet by US ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who praised his staff's visa work and said sport transcends borders. The embassy said visas were denied to a large portion of the managerial, executive, technical advisers and others integral to a national football team.
Tasnim reported that the denied visas included FFIRI executive director Mehdi Kharati, secretary general Hedayat Mombini and media director Mohsen Motamedkia. Those staff members will travel to Mexico with the team while efforts to obtain US visas continue, the agency said.
The FFIRI said the US behavior contradicts international sports laws and will be taken to FIFA. The federation claimed the US made a non‑sporting political decision to refuse visas for key managerial and administrative members.
Iran had planned a base camp in Tucson, Arizona, but switched to Tijuana in May due to immigration uncertainty. Iran’s ambassador to Mexico Abolfazl Pasandideh said the team must enter and leave US soil on the same day as each match, while spokesman Amir Mahdi Alavi said the visas are multiple‑entry and the team will arrive one day before the first game and two days before subsequent games. The team’s group‑stage matches are scheduled in Los Angeles against New Zealand on 15 June, in Los Angeles against Belgium on 21 June, and in Seattle against Egypt on 26 June.