Iran’s World Cup in Doubt as US Insists It Won’t Issue Visas to Some Delegation Members

• Iran's World Cup preparations have been hit by a fresh immigration hurdle less than two weeks before kick-off
• A new statement from Washington has raised questions about who will be allowed to travel with the team
• The squad is preparing to leave for North America while uncertainty continues over key travel documents

Iran's World Cup preparations have been thrown into doubt after the United States insisted that some members of the country's delegation will not be granted visas. The development comes less than two weeks before Iran's opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the country's football authorities yet to confirm whether US visas for the travelling party have been issued.

According to Al-Jazeera, the latest uncertainty emerged as Iran confirmed plans to depart for its World Cup base in Mexico on Saturday, 6 June, despite ongoing questions surrounding entry into the United States, where all three of its group-stage matches will be played.

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Marco Rubio draws a line over Iran delegation members

The issue escalated on Tuesday, 2 June, when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed lawmakers during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

Rubio indicated that the United States would not permit individuals with alleged links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be included in the country's World Cup delegation.

"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 or things of that nature, so we were going to watch that very closely," Rubio said.

His remarks have added fresh uncertainty to Iran's World Cup preparations, particularly as the federation has not publicly disclosed whether visas for all members of its travelling party have been approved.

Iran set to leave for Mexico despite visa uncertainty

According to Iran's official national team account, the squad will depart Antalya, Turkey, at 15:20 GMT on Saturday, 6 June, before arriving in Tijuana, Mexico, on 7 June via Spain.

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The team has been training in Turkey for several weeks and will play Mali in a final warm-up match before travelling to North America.

Earlier this week, Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj said the squad was expecting visas for Mexico before US visas were issued.

"The players will receive their visas for Mexico on Tuesday or Wednesday and then a US visa will be issued quickly," Taj said.

However, the federation has not announced whether those visas have since been granted.

Mexico base switch highlights ongoing concerns

Iran will be based in Tijuana after FIFA approved a request to move the team's World Cup camp from Arizona to Mexico. The move followed concerns about travel logistics and possible immigration complications.

Iran are scheduled to begin their Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June. They will then face Belgium in Los Angeles on 21 June before taking on Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.

The uncertainty surrounding visas comes months after tensions between Iran, the United States and Israel intensified, placing additional focus on the team's participation in a tournament co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

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With departure for Mexico now just days away, Iran's World Cup plans remain clouded by uncertainty. While the squad is preparing for the tournament, questions remain over whether every member of the delegation will receive the documents needed to enter the United States before the opening match.

US and Iran clash over World Cup visa delays

Briefly News previously reported that the Iranian Embassy in South Africa accused the United States of abusing its role as a World Cup host after visa delays affected several national teams, including Bafana Bafana. The embassy suggested South Africa's travel disruption showed the issue extended beyond Iran's delegation. (Briefly)

The US Embassy pushed back against the claims, highlighting its support for Bafana Bafana and rejecting suggestions that the delays were politically motivated.

Source: Briefly News