▲ Iranian national football team members arrive at Tijuana International Airport in Mexico.
The United States has granted entry visas to only four members of the Iranian delegation participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The British public broadcaster BBC reported today (June 14) that out of 15 Iranian delegation members who were initially denied entry, 10 submitted new visa applications after arriving at their training camp in Mexico. Of those, only four—two members of the Iran Football Federation's international department and one performance analyst—were approved for entry.
Six others, including Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj, had their new visa applications rejected, while one media officer did not reapply.
The U.S., which is currently at war with Iran, has faced criticism for allowing only the players to enter the country while denying visas to key members of the delegation.
Iran, placed in Group G, is scheduled to play all three of its group stage matches in the U.S.: against New Zealand on the 16th and Belgium on the 22nd (both in Los Angeles), and against Egypt on the 27th (in Seattle).
Initially planning to set up its base camp in Tucson, Arizona, Iran has been conducting its training in Tijuana, Mexico, near the California border, due to the ongoing war with the U.S.
Furthermore, under strict U.S. stay restrictions, the Iranian team must return to Tijuana immediately after each match in the U.S. and repeat the border crossing process for every game.
In addition to the Iranian delegation, the U.S. also denied entry to Somali football referee Omar Artan, citing "suspected ties to individuals linked to terrorist organizations."
As football officials repeatedly face barriers to entering the U.S., FIFA, the governing body of the tournament, has effectively remained passive.
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter emphasized on social media, "The World Cup must guarantee two fundamental principles: the safety of participating nations and the unrestricted entry of teams, officials, and referees." He added, "The case of referee Artan contradicts these FIFA obligations, and FIFA must never undermine the universality of football."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.