"Iran" complains that the "U.S." is not issuing visas to enter the country, potentially affecting the "2026 World Cup."
Mehdi Taj, President of the Iranian Football Federation, revealed that the Iranian national team players are still waiting for U.S. visas to participate in the 2026 World Cup.
Taj stated, "The visa issue has not yet been resolved. Soon we will hold an important meeting with FIFA. They must provide assurances to our team. We have not received any notification from the other side about who has been granted visas. So far, not a single visa has been issued."
Iran was originally one of 12 countries whose citizens are banned by U.S. policy from entering the country. With ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, and peace negotiations remaining unstable, this has affected many sectors and worsened the situation—especially for the 2026 World Cup. Recently, the Iranian Football Federation stated that not only Iranian fans but also the national football players themselves have not received any visas at all.
According to the schedule, Iran is set to play New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June, with both matches in Los Angeles, and then face Egypt in Seattle on 26 June. The team plans to base their training in Tucson, Arizona.