Iran World Cup team still waiting for US visas, says ambassador

Iran's national football team faces significant hurdles in preparing for the FIFA World Cup, with players still awaiting US visas, according to their ambassador to Mexico. Abolfazl Pasandideh revealed that the team has been unable to train effectively, impacting their ability to compete on "equal terms" in the tournament.

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the country to the north, meaning the US, had not followed through on its responsibility of hosting the Iranian team.

The ambassador stated that the United States, the host nation for Iran's group matches, has not met its obligations regarding the team's arrival and preparation. "We don’t know whether or not they’re going to give the players their visas," Pasandideh told reporters in Tijuana, Mexico, where the team has relocated its training camp from its originally planned base in Tucson, Arizona.

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We don’t know whether or not they’re going to give the players their visas.

Iran is slated to play its group stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle. The head of the Iranian Football Federation has expressed hope for multiple-entry visas for the players. However, the ongoing war in the Middle East, which began on February 28, has further complicated the team's training schedule and preparations.

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We aren’t participating in the World Cup on equal terms.