The Iranian Football Association issued a strong statement accusing the United States of fearing to grant visas to 14 management and staff members of the Iranian national football team for the 2026 World Cup.
On 7 June 2026 GMT+7, the Iranian Football Association accused the United States of retaliatory behavior after denying visas to 14 senior officials and staff members of the Iranian national team. Among those denied visas were the association's Secretary General, Heydayat Mombeini, and Vice President, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, who are part of the group awaiting US visas prior to matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.
The dispute began after the Iranian embassy in Turkey responded to a post by Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey, who praised the US embassy staff in Ankara for issuing visas to the Iranian national football team. Barrack stated, “Proud of the US embassy team in Ankara for processing visas for the Iranian national football team. Sports transcend borders, and we look forward to welcoming athletes and fans from around the world.”
However, the Iranian embassy in Turkey contested this statement, claiming that several key delegation members were denied entry visas. They said, “The unwarranted expansion of hostility toward Iran into the sports arena constitutes the worst form of political interference in sports,” and called on FIFA to investigate the United States.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Football Association released an official statement on its website saying that denying visas to some Iranian delegation members “has deprived the national team of the opportunity to compete on an equal and non-discriminatory basis.”
Iran's schedule in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is as follows:
• 15 June — vs. New Zealand in Los Angeles
• 21 June — vs. Belgium in Los Angeles
• 26 June — vs. Egypt in Seattle