US grants Iranian World Cup players visas but denies some delegation visas, Iranian media says

US denies visas to Iranian World Cup delegation members, Tasnim reports Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that the United States has refused to issue entry visas to several members of Iran’s delegation connected to the national football team’s participation in the Fifa World Cup. According to Tasnim, those affected include the team manager, the general secretary of the Iran Football Federation, the team’s executive and media directors, a media staff member, an analyst, and representatives from Iran’s foreign ministry, security agencies and the federation’s international committee. The report said the individuals are scheduled to travel with the national team to Mexico, and efforts are continuing to obtain the necessary visas.

Iran's World Cup Squad Belatedly Granted US Visas But Some Staff Blocked Via Middle East Eye Members of Iran's World Cup 2026 administrative staff have not been given visas to enter the United States, Iranian media reported on Saturday. According to US officials, while Iranian footballers have been granted visas for the tournament, which begins on Thursday in Mexico, some support staff are reportedly not being allowed to join the squad. via Reuters On Friday, a White House official told Reuters that the players had received their visas, after Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said on Thursday that they had not. Iran plays its first match on June 16 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, California. Its participation in the tournament has been the subject of much speculation after the US and Israel launched their war on Iran at the end of February. Negotiations between the US and Iran are continuing, but both sides have continued to fire on enemy targets. Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim reported that the Iranian staff not granted visas include Mehdi Kharati, the executive director; Hedayat Mombini, the secretary general of the football federation; and Mohsen Motamedkia, media director. Staff members without visas will travel to Mexico with the team while efforts to obtain the documents continue, Tasnim said. Tehran negotiated a last-minute move of the team's base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, due to the visa issues and a growing feeling in Iran that the squad’s presence in the US should be kept to a minimum. The team is scheduled to land in Tijuana on Sunday. After facing New Zealand, Iran will play Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle. The US has never formally said it did not want the Iran team to stay on its territory, Pasandideh said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, told lawmakers on Tuesday that the US would not allow Iran to include in its delegation people linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Mehdi Taj, a former IRGC commander and now president of Iran's football federation, was denied entry for the tournament draw in Washington in December.  "Iran's participation in the World Cup - even on the soil of what is seen as its enemy - shows that Iran seeks peace," Pasandideh said through a Spanish interpreter at the Iranian embassy in Mexico City. Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 16:20

Iran's World Cup squad granted US visas but some staff blocked Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 06/06/2026 - 10:15 Iranian media reports that members of the squad's administrative staff have not been granted visas to enter the US Iran's players pose for a team photo before a friendly match against Gambia in Turkey, 29 May 2026 (Umit Bektas/Reuters) Off Members of Iran's World Cup 2026 administrative staff have not been given visas to enter the United States, Iranian media reported on Saturday. According to US officials, while Iranian footballers have been granted visas for the tournament, which begins on Thursday in Mexico, some support staff are reportedly not being allowed to join the squad. On Friday, a White House official told Reuters that the players had received their visas, after Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said on Thursday that they had not. Iran plays its first match on 16 June against New Zealand in Los Angeles, California. Its participation in the tournament has been the subject of much speculation after the US and Israel launched their war on Iran at the end of February. Negotiations between the US and Iran are continuing, but both sides have continued to fire on enemy targets. Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim reported that the Iranian staff not granted visas include Mehdi Kharati, the executive director; Hedayat Mombini, the secretary general of the football federation; and Mohsen Motamedkia, media director. Staff members without visas will travel to Mexico with the team while efforts to obtain the documents continue, Tasnim said. Tehran negotiated a last-minute move of the team's base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, due to the visa issues and a growing feeling in Iran that the squad’s presence in the US should be kept to a minimum. The team is scheduled to land in Tijuana on Sunday. After facing New Zealand, Iran will play Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle. The US has never formally said it did not want the Iran team to stay on its territory, Pasandideh said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, told lawmakers on Tuesday that the US would not allow Iran to include in its delegation people linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Mehdi Taj, a former IRGC commander and now president of Iran's football federation, was denied entry for the tournament draw in Washington in December.  “Iran's participation in the World Cup - even on the soil of what is seen as its enemy - shows that Iran seeks peace,” Pasandideh said through a Spanish interpreter at the Iranian embassy in Mexico City. World Cup 2026 News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

Iranian media says US denied visas to members of World Cup delegation Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that the United States has refused entry visas for several members of Iran’s delegation connected to the national football team’s World Cup preparations. According to the report, those denied visas include the team manager, the general secretary of the Iran Football Federation, the team’s executive and media directors, a media staff member, an analyst, and representatives from Iran’s foreign ministry, security agencies and the federation’s international committee. Tasnim said the individuals are expected to travel with the national team to Mexico and that efforts are continuing to secure the necessary visas.