Iran Accuses US of Discriminatory Visa Practices Ahead of World Cup

Iran has lodged a strong protest against the United States, accusing Washington of discriminatory visa practices that have prevented some of its World Cup squad support staff from traveling to Türkiye. The dispute arises just days before the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, is set to begin on June 11.

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You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran's national football team to its highest level. FIFA must hold the US accountable for violations of its rules and for the discriminatory treatment of Iran's national football team.

While the Iranian players received their visas late Friday, allowing them to depart for Mexico from their training camp in Antalya, Iran's embassy in Türkiye issued a "furious response" on Saturday. The embassy stated that a "large" number of managerial, executive, and other support personnel were denied visas. It accused the U.S. of escalating "deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran's national football team to its highest level" and called on FIFA to hold the U.S. accountable for violating its rules.

Iran's Football Federation echoed these sentiments, describing the visa denials as "political interference in sport in its worst form." The federation criticized the U.S. government for extending "hostile behavior towards the Iranian nation into the field of sport," arguing it deprives the national team of the opportunity to compete without discrimination. The federation announced its intention to pursue the matter with FIFA.

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political interference in sport in its worst form

Iranian state television reported that while players and technical staff secured their visas, 15 administrative and management personnel did not. The team was scheduled to depart Antalya for Mexico, with a stopover in Spain, on Saturday. The U.S. envoy to Türkiye, Tom Barrack, had previously acknowledged the processing of visas for the national football team. However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier suggested potential issues related to individuals accompanying the team, possibly due to ties with the Revolutionary Guards, a group on the U.S. terror blacklist. Iran is set to play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, and the U.S. in Seattle, during the group stage.

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By extending its hostile behaviour towards the Iranian nation into the field of sport, the ... US government has deprived Iran's national team of.. the opportunity to compete without discrimination.