Iran Files Formal Complaint with FIFA Over Travel Restrictions

Washington DC. Iran is set to file a formal complaint with football's governing body (FIFA) against the travel restrictions it faced during the 2026 World Cup. Iran was only allowed to enter the United States one day before its match in this World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. According to visa conditions, the Iranian team is compelled to leave the US on the same day the match concludes.

After drawing 2-2 with New Zealand in its first match in Los Angeles, Iran's head coach Amir Ghalenoei stated that they were the 'most pressured' team in the tournament. The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) issued a statement saying that the travel restrictions imposed on them are contrary to the principle of providing equal conditions to all participating teams and could negatively impact the team's preparation process.

The federation further stated, 'As a result, the federation will formally express its dissatisfaction and file a formal complaint with FIFA through appropriate channels.' Iran's participation in the World Cup has been surrounded by uncertainty from the beginning due to the ongoing war in the Middle East and associated security concerns.

As tensions escalated, FIFA President Gianni Infantino visited the Iranian team in the dressing room after the match against New Zealand. Several key support staff members of the Iranian team were denied visas to enter the US, and their ticket quota was canceled on the eve of the tournament, leading the federation to urge FIFA to 'maintain neutrality, impartiality, and adhere to established rules.'

When asked for a reaction to Ghalenoei's comments, a spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said, 'The Iranian national football team agreed to these conditions.' BBC has contacted DHS for a reaction regarding Iran's plan to file a complaint.

Due to the conflict in the Middle East, Iran, which moved its training camp from Arizona, USA, to Tijuana, Mexico, for the World Cup, still has two group stage matches remaining, both of which will be played in the US. Iran is scheduled to face Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 27. Iran had requested to arrive in the city of the match two days before each game to allow players to acclimatize, complete the final training session, and finalize preparations, and return to their main camp only the day after the match, but this request was not approved for the match against New Zealand.

The Iranian federation stated that the exact same situation was repeated before the second match against Belgium. Iran had requested to arrive there two days in advance so that the players would have enough time to acclimatize to the match environment, complete the final training session, and finalize preparations, as the match was scheduled for 12 PM local time in Los Angeles. However, despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, this request was again denied.

The presidents of the United States and Iran have signed a preliminary peace agreement with the aim of ending the war. However, Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House FIFA Task Force, stated that Iran was already aware of the circumstances it would face regarding the matches.