Iran has accused the United States of discriminatory treatment after visas were reportedly denied to several members of its national football team’s support staff ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The dispute emerged just days before the tournament kicks off on June 11 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The Iranian national team, known as Team Melli, has been training in Antalya, Turkey, since May 18 and was scheduled to depart for Mexico on Saturday. While the players received their visas late on Friday, Iran said a significant number of officials and support personnel were denied entry permits.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, announced on X that visas for Iran’s national football team had been processed by the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.
However, Iran’s embassy in Turkey criticized the move, alleging that several key members of the delegation had been excluded.
“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,” the embassy said in a statement posted on X, describing the action as deliberate and discriminatory.
Iranian media reports indicated that those denied visas included Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, along with other executive officials and analysts.
The visa controversy comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington following months of conflict. A ceasefire reached in April has shown signs of weakening in recent weeks, with both sides exchanging threats and renewed military strikes.
Iran’s squad is expected to arrive in Mexico early Sunday after a journey that includes a stopover in Spain. The team will be based in the border city of Tijuana throughout the tournament, having opted against establishing its camp in the United States due to security and political concerns.
Despite being based in Mexico, all three of Iran’s Group G matches will be played in the United States. Team Melli will face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and June 21 respectively, before taking on Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
As part of its World Cup preparations, Iran defeated Mali 2-0 in a friendly match in Antalya on Thursday, following a 3-1 victory over Gambia on May 29.
