WORLD CUP: Integral Iran Personnel Blocked From Entering The US After Awarding Players Visas
Iran accuses the United States of withholding visas to “integral” members of its national football team’s backroom personnel.
This comes just hours after Washington confirmed that Iranian players have been granted clearance to travel to the 2017 World Cup.
US officials claimed visas were provided to players and “necessary support staff” on Friday, ten days before Iran’s first match in Los Angeles on June 15.
It also declared that Iran will not be permitted to “abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses.”
Iran have departed from their training camp in Turkey and are heading to Mexico for the World Cup.
For months, it was unclear whether they would get to this point. Thirteen members of their delegation still do not have visas.
Adam Leventhal spent four days in Antalya following… pic.twitter.com/ghLTekfgIp— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 6, 2026
A statement described the US announcement as a “whitewash”, adding: “You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran’s national football team to its highest level.”
Iranian embassy officials called on FIFA, football’s world governing body, to intervene.
Proud of our outstanding team at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for their work processing visas for Iran’s national football team on their road to the @FIFAWorldCup in the United States.
Sports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the… https://t.co/KpFUCFcvZV— Ambassador Tom Barrack (@USAMBTurkiye) June 5, 2026
Iranian state-linked media said the head of the football federation and his deputy were among those were denied entry to the US.
The 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, begins on 11 June.
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Iran secured their place by finishing top of their qualification group in March 2025, almost a year before war broke out.
It will be the first iteration of the competition to see a host nation receive the team of a country it is at war with.
In late May, Iran moved its training base to Mexico from Tucson, Arizona.
The Iranian soccer squad kisses the Quran before their flight to Mexico and the World Cup
Iran and the USA could face each other on the pitch-
If the US finishes 2nd in Group D and Iran finishes 2nd in Group G, they would go head to head. pic.twitter.com/0UITtdcHQ6— Chay Bowes (@BowesChay) June 6, 2026
Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers Iran’s football delegation would not be allowed to include individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards – a powerful branch of the Iranian armed forces.
Several players in the Iranian squad have completed mandatory military service with the group.
Iran are also due to play Belgium in California and Egypt in Seattle in their other two group games.
WORLD CUP: Integral Iran Personnel Blocked From Entering The US After Awarding Players Visas
