Iran accuses US of visa discrimination ahead of World Cup
US officials cite false pretences and IRGC ties for rejections, while Tehran vows to take the dispute to FIFA.
The Iranian Football Federation has accused the United States of “vindictive behaviour” after visas were refused for 14 key managerial and administrative officials accompanying the national team to the 2026 World Cup. The dispute centres on the denial of entry to senior figures, including secretary-general Hedayat Mombeini and vice-president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, ahead of matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.
While US officials confirmed that all players and coaches received visas, they stated that some support staff were rejected for applying under false pretences and for alleged ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Iranian team has relocated its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, due to visa processing issues and security concerns related to the ongoing Iran war.
Iran has vowed to pursue the matter through FIFA, claiming the restrictions violate host obligations and create an uneven playing field. The federation’s statement argued that the visa denials had “effectively denied the Iranian national team the opportunity for a level playing field and a competition free from discrimination.”
The Iranian Embassy in Ankara responded to US Ambassador Tom Barrack’s social media post congratulating staff on processing visas, calling it an attempt to “whitewash conduct that violates FIFA regulations.” The embassy described the actions as the “worst possible form of politically biased interference in sport.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the Iranian delegation would be monitored closely for ties to the IRGC. “We have no problem with the athletes, as we stated earlier, or their support staff,” Rubio said during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing. “But what we’re not going to allow is for them to embed in their delegation a bunch of people that we know have nothing to do with athletics and have ties to the IRGC.”
The squad departed from Antalya, Turkey, on a private jet for Mexico on Saturday. Star forward Sardar Azmoun was dropped from the squad in March, reportedly due to a social media post that angered Iranian authorities during the war. It remains unclear whether Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj has been issued a visa.
