Iran gamers get visas 10 days earlier than their opening World Cup match in opposition to New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.
Printed On 5 Jun 2026
Iran’s World Cup soccer gamers have been granted visas to enter america, in accordance with a White Home official, simply 10 days earlier than their first match in Los Angeles amid a battle between the 2 international locations.
Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, mentioned late on Thursday the squad had nonetheless not obtained their US visas, however these have been granted in a single day, the White Home official mentioned.
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US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack confirmed the visas in a message on X on Friday. “Happy with our excellent crew on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for his or her work processing visas for Iran’s nationwide soccer crew on their highway to the @FIFAWorldCup in america,” he mentioned, commenting on a information report that Iran’s World Cup gamers have been granted the visas to enter america.
The US had not but issued visas to some members of the Iran crew’s technical and administrative workers, the semi-official Fars information company reported on Friday.
Iran’s federation has not but made an announcement on the information.
“Visas for some members of the nationwide crew’s technical and government workers haven’t but been issued, and the US embassy has to date refused to difficulty them,” Fars mentioned, with out citing a supply.
The US-Israel battle on Iran has turned the World Cup – the largest world sporting occasion – right into a geopolitical contest, with each side showing to make use of the event for political posturing.
It’s the first World Cup, since its inception in 1930, through which a bunch nation is ready to obtain a rustic it’s at battle with.
Tehran negotiated a last-minute transfer of the crew’s base from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico as a result of visa points and a rising feeling in Iran that the squad’s presence in america ought to be saved to a minimal.
They’re scheduled to land in Tijuana early on Sunday.
Iran are as a consequence of play their first Group G match on June 15 in opposition to New Zealand in Los Angeles, the place they may also face Belgium earlier than taking over Egypt in Seattle.
The US has by no means formally mentioned it doesn’t need the Iranian crew to remain on its territory, Ambassador Pasandideh mentioned.
Nevertheless, Secretary of State Marco Rubio advised lawmakers on Tuesday that the US wouldn’t enable Iran to incorporate in its World Cup delegation people linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a robust department of the Iranian armed forces.
Mehdi Taj, president of Iran’s soccer federation, was denied entry for the event attract Washington in December. He’s a former commander within the Revolutionary Guards.
Iran’s want to compete within the World Cup underscored its efforts to achieve a decision within the battle with Washington, Pasandideh mentioned.
“Iran’s participation within the World Cup – even on the soil of what’s seen as its enemy – exhibits that Iran seeks peace,” Pasandideh mentioned, talking by way of a Spanish interpreter on the Iranian embassy in Mexico Metropolis.
Progress in peace talks between Iran and the US has been sluggish, with each side seemingly inching in direction of an interim settlement at the same time as they proceed to hold out army strikes.
