Iran World Cup squad to leave for Mexico despite US visa issues

Iranian delegation arrives at their World Cup base camp a day after several members were denied visas by the US.

All of Iran's group games are in the US, but players and support staff will have to fly in and out of the country on match day.

All of Iran's group games are in the US, but players and support staff will have to fly in and out of the country on match day.

A diplomatic war of words has broken out over the US visa status for several members of Iran’s 2026 World Cup delegation with just days to go until the start of the tournament, and on the day the team itself departed to Mexico to open its camp ahead of the competition. Iran have trained and played closed-door matches over the last three weeks in Antalya, Turkey, while diplomats have worked to secure visas for their entry to the United States, where the team will play all three of their group-stage games. A US state department official issued the same comment Saturday to multiple media outlets, claiming that “the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued.”

US state department says ‘necessary’ visas issued Players and coaching staff reportedly receive visas Iran open World Cup on 15 June v New Zealand in LA A diplomatic war of words has broken out over the US visa status for several members of Iran’s 2026 World Cup delegation with just days to go until the start of the tournament, and on the day the team itself departed to Mexico to open its camp ahead of the competition. Iran have trained and played closed-door matches over the last three weeks in Antalya, Turkey, while diplomats have worked to secure visas for their entry to the United States, where the team will play all three of their group-stage games. Those visas were approved on 5 June for Iran’s players and some staff, but Iranian state media and diplomats reported that same day that several of the team’s support staff have been left out including the Iranian football federation chief Mehdi Taj. Continue reading...

Iranian officials say a ‘large’ number of key staff have been denied visas as the team is set to travel to Mexico.

Iran’s World Cup soccer team prepared to set off from Turkey for their training base in Mexico on Saturday ahead of three group matches in the United States later this month. According to Iranian state television, however, some members of the Iranian Football Federation who had been due to accompany the team were yet to receive visas to enter the U.S. The Iranian TV report said the federation’s secretary-general, Hedayat Mombeini, and its vice president, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, were among 14 backroom staff and officials who had not received U.S. visas ahead of games in Los Angeles and Seattle.

Iran lashed out at the United States on Saturday for refusing visas to some of its World Cup squad support staff as the players were to leave Turkey for Mexico. The row erupted just days before the June 11 start of the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Squad’s visas for the US haven’t been issued, with Marco Rubio saying IRGC-linked members won’t be allowed to ’embed’.