USA Imposes Strict Rules on Iranian Football Team for World Cup 2026

Los Angeles. The United States, a co-host nation for the World Cup 2026, has imposed extremely strict and rarely seen rules on the Iranian football team.

US officials have clarified that Iran's team must leave the United States within a few hours of completing each of their group stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle. Criticism is mounting over the order for players to leave the country immediately after the game without even resting, a fact that US officials have now confirmed.

Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House FIFA Task Force, claimed that this procedure was clarified in advance. After months of uncertainty due to the war between America and Israel against Iran, Iran finally participated in the World Cup, but the Iranian team was not even allowed to stay overnight after the politically sensitive match against New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday.

Within a few hours of the match ending, the Iranian team was sent back to their base camp in Mexico around 8 PM local time. There is strong criticism of the US policy for not allowing the team even the time to recover from physical fatigue by staying in a hotel, imposing such behavior regarding visas and travel.

Iran's head coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed dissatisfaction in a press conference after the match, stating that his team was ordered to leave the US and return to Mexico within a few hours of the game's conclusion. He said the team had expected to spend the night in California for the physical fitness and rest of the players after the first match.

Meanwhile, the US faced additional pressure as Iran's winger Mehdi Torabi's entry visa expired after the first match. However, Iranian officials informed on Tuesday afternoon that a multiple-entry visa allowing him to travel in and out of the US for upcoming matches has been secured. The US State Department also stated that this issue has been resolved and ensured that the player can participate in every match.

Executive Director Giuliani, in an interview with CBS News, clarified that while some Iranian team support staff and officials were denied entry into the US, all players and coaches received visas. Presenting the framework of the strict conditions set for the Iranian team, he said, 'The team will be allowed to enter the US only one day before the match. They will be asked to leave the country on the evening the match ends, and they will have to follow this procedure for the upcoming matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.'

When asked why some support staff and team officials were not granted visas, Giuliani did not provide many details but quoted Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He clarified that no individual with direct ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would be allowed entry into the United States, and they would not be able to use the World Cup as a means to enter the US.

Iranian team captain Mehdi Taremi lamented that they faced a five-hour journey and strict security checks while traveling the short distance from Tijuana to the Los Angeles area on Sunday. He also demanded that FIFA provide them with more support and facilitation in such politically and administratively challenging circumstances.