U.S. Grants Visas to Iran's World Cup Football Team, Denies Most Staff

Iran's national football team has secured U.S. visas, clearing the way for them to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America tournament. The team will play all three of their group stage matches within the United States, a development that comes amid complex geopolitical relations between the two nations.

However, the visa approval was not universal for the entire delegation. While the players were granted entry, a significant portion of the support staff, reportedly around 10 individuals including coaches, trainers, analysts, and medical personnel, were denied visas. Notably, Mehdi Taj, the head of the Iranian Football Federation and a former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was also among those refused entry.

The U.S. State Department's decision to grant visas to the players was seen as unusual given the ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran. The delay in visa processing had previously forced the Iranian team to relocate their training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, near the U.S. border.

Tom Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey who processed the players' visas, expressed a sentiment of sportsmanship on social media, stating, "Sports transcend borders, and we welcome athletes and fans from all over the world." Iran is scheduled to play its first two matches against New Zealand and Belgium in California before heading to Seattle to face the United States on June 26. Should both Iran and the U.S. advance to the knockout stage, they could potentially meet again on July 3 in Arlington, Texas.

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Sports transcend borders, and we welcome athletes and fans from all over the world.