Iran has accused the United States of denying visas to a significant number of officials and support staff linked to its national football team ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, raising concerns just days before Iran’s opening match on June 15. Tehran’s embassies say many managerial and technical personnel essential to the team’s operation were refused entry, an allegation that, if true, would complicate the squad’s preparations and logistics for the tournament.
The dispute followed a post on X by US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack praising staff at the US Embassy in Ankara for processing visas for Iran’s national team and expressing hope of welcoming players and fans to the World Cup in the United States. Iran’s embassy in Türkiye strongly rejected that account, saying the US was attempting to “whitewash conduct” that violated FIFA regulations and host-nation obligations.
According to the Iranian embassy, the refusals affected a “substantial number” of managerial and executive staff, technical advisers and other support personnel. The embassy accused Washington of subjecting the team to “deliberate and discriminatory treatment” and said those restrictions were preventing Iran from competing under normal conditions.
Tehran also argued that extending political disputes into sport amounted to interference and urged FIFA to hold the United States accountable for what it described as discriminatory action against the Iranian delegation. Iran’s embassy in South Africa echoed the criticism on social media, saying the US, as a World Cup host, was failing to fulfil its responsibilities and that FIFA should ensure visas are issued to all members of participating delegations.
Reports say many of Iran’s managerial staff and technical advisers remain without visas as the tournament approaches. The team is expected to arrive in Tijuana, Mexico, before travelling to the United States for group fixtures. Iran opens against New Zealand in Inglewood, California, on June 15, faces Belgium in Inglewood on June 21, and meets Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The visa row comes as Iran prepares amid wider regional tensions in West Asia; the squad recently completed training camps in Antalya and enters the World Cup after a 2-0 friendly win over Mali, following earlier warm-up matches. Neither FIFA nor US authorities have publicly responded to the allegations about the visa status of Iran’s support staff.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/sport/story/iran-accuses-us-of-denying-visas-to-football-team-officials-ahead-of-world-cup-1403957-2026-06-07?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-06-07 10:40:00
