According to Iranian state media, the US has not granted entry to staff from the Iranian Football Association, including the head, deputy head, and media director.
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Iran has accused the US of granting visas to players playing in the World Cup but not to key members of the team. The US has accused Iran of denying entry to support staff hours after issuing visas to Iranian players.
US officials have said they have issued visas to all players and "essential support staff". Iran will face New Zealand in its first group match in Los Angeles on June 16. US officials have said Iran will not allow "terrorists" to enter its territory under any pretext.
The Iranian embassy in Turkey has accused the US of showing political bias by denying visas to many members of the team's management and executive staff. According to Iranian state media, the US has denied entry to staff including the head, deputy head and media director of the Iranian Football Association. The Iranian team left for Mexico on Saturday.
According to the Iranian ambassador to Mexico, the visa requirement for the Iranian team is that they must enter the US on the day of the match and leave the US the same day after the match. Iranian officials have also said that FIFA should intervene in the matter.
The 2026 World Cup, which starts on June 12, is being jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. Iran qualified for the World Cup in March 2025, before the conflict with the US began. This is the first time in the history of the tournament that the host nation is hosting a team from a country it is at war with.
In late May, Iran moved its training camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico.
The Iranian national team began its World Cup journey in Argentina in 1978. Since its debut, it has played in the 1998, 2006, 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Iran, three-time Asian Cup champions at the continental level, has been limited to the group stage at the FIFA World Cup. Iran's qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup has been impressive.
Iran, which advanced by defeating Hong Kong and Turkmenistan in the second round, secured its place in the third round by drawing 2-2 with Uzbekistan on March 25, 2025.
-With the help of agencies
