Iran’s World Cup squad landed in Tijuana, Mexico, early on Sunday morning, hours after the country’s ambassador to Mexico revealed a humiliating travel restriction: the team must enter and leave the United States on the same day as each of their three group matches. “We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day,” Iran’s envoy Abolfazl Pasandideh told reporters.
The strict timeline is the latest twist in a diplomatic row that has overshadowed the team’s preparations for the 2026 tournament, which begins on 11 June. All of Iran’s group games are on American soil – against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, Belgium in California six days later, and Egypt in Seattle. But the players and support staff have been told they cannot stay overnight in the US, forcing them to fly back to Mexico after each fixture.
“Iran's World Cup team must fly in and out of the US on match day after 15 staff were denied visas.”
Iran had originally planned to base themselves in Tucson, Arizona, but relocated to Mexico in late May. Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said her country had no objection: “The United States does not want the Iranian team to stay overnight, but they are going to play three matches there. So they asked us: ‘Can they stay overnight in Mexico?’ And we said: ‘Yes, no problem.’”
The visa dispute escalated further after Iranian state media reported that 15 officials – including football federation chief Mehdi Taj, his deputy, and a media director – had been denied entry to the US. Iran’s embassy in Turkey accused Washington of “politically biased interference in sport”, adding that it had denied visas to a “large portion of the managerial and executive staff” and “technical advisers”. The embassy also called on Fifa to intervene.
US officials defended their decision, with a state department official saying that “the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued”. The official added: “We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences.” That echoed comments earlier in the week from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the Iranian delegation would not be allowed to include people with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Several players in the Iranian squad have completed mandatory military service with the group.
US president Donald Trump had previously raised doubts about the team’s safety, saying: “The Iran national soccer team is welcome to the World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”
This will be the first World Cup in which a host nation receives the team of a country it is at war with. Iran secured their place by finishing top of their qualification group in March 2025, almost a year after the US and Israel began attacks on the country. The team trained and played closed-door matches in Antalya, Turkey, while diplomats worked to secure visas. Those visas were approved on 5 June, but Iranian officials say the denials leave the squad without essential staff for the tournament.
Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim reported that staff without visas would travel to Mexico with the team while efforts continue. The football federation said the US behaviour “contradicts international sports laws” and said it would take further action.