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Iran's World Cup squad arrives in Mexico amid US visa dispute for support staff
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
Iran's World Cup squad arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday, just days before the 2026 World Cup kickoff. The team's arrival follows a diplomatic dispute with the United States, which denied visas for some Iranian support staff. The US, Mexico, and Canada are co-hosting the tournament. The Iranian team spent nearly three weeks training in Antalya, Turkey, where they applied for visas to all three host countries. While players received their US visas, Iran's embassy in Turkey stated that 15 administrative and management staff were denied. The embassy called on FIFA to hold the US accountable for what it described as "deliberate and discriminatory treatment." Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, also noted that the team's visa conditions require them to enter and leave US soil on the same day as their matches, a point that contradicted an earlier statement from the team's spokesman, Amir Mahdi Alavi, who said they had multiple-entry visas. A US administration official confirmed that necessary visas for the team, including support staff, had been issued, but added that the US would not allow the Iranian team to "abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously suggested concerns about individuals with ties to the Revolutionary Guards. The visa issue also affected the Iraqi team, with one photographer denied entry to the US. Iran is in Group G and will play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
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