Iranian Football Team Arrives in Mexico Amidst US Visa Dispute for FIFA World Cup 2026
Kathmandu. The Iranian football team has reached Mexico amidst a US visa dispute to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026. Although all of Iran's group stage matches in the upcoming World Cup are scheduled to be held in the United States, strict conditions have been imposed on Iranian players and support staff. They have been instructed to enter the US only on match days and return immediately after the match concludes.
According to information released by Iran, the US has completely denied visas to 15 officials and support staff of the team. Those denied visas include the president, vice-president, and media director of the Football Federation. Iranian officials have criticized this as a very bad example of political interference in sports.
The World Cup, to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is set to begin on June 11. Iran secured its place in the tournament by finishing first in its qualifying group in March 2025. This qualification process was completed about a year before the US and Israel began their invasion of Iran. This is the first time in World Cup history that a host nation has had to host a team from a country with which it is at war.
The Iranian team arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, early Sunday morning local time. US officials, on the other hand, claimed on Friday that visas had been issued to all players and 'key support staff'. Iran's first match is scheduled for June 15 in Los Angeles against New Zealand. However, Iranian state media outlets have expressed dissatisfaction, calling it a deliberate denial of entry to their main officials.
This specific news has been automatically translated by AI. As a result, there may be some inaccuracies or language errors.
