US issues visas to Iranian footballers for World Cup
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Iran’s national football team has been granted visas to enter the United States ahead of the FIFA World Cup, according to a White House official, ending uncertainty just 10 days before the team’s opening match in Los Angeles amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.
Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, had said on Thursday that the squad had not yet received the necessary visas. However, US officials confirmed that the documents were issued overnight.
US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack later announced on X that embassy staff had successfully processed the visas for Iran’s national team ahead of the tournament, Al Jazeera reported.
Despite the approval for the players, Iran’s technical and administrative staff were reportedly still facing visa delays. The semi-official Fars News Agency reported that visas for some members of the delegation had not been issued and that US authorities had so far declined to approve them. Iran’s football federation had not publicly commented on the matter.
The ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran has added a geopolitical dimension to the World Cup, making it the first tournament since its inception in 1930 in which a host nation is expected to welcome a country with which it is at war.
According to reports, Tehran decided to relocate the team’s base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, following visa complications and growing sentiment within Iran that the squad should limit its presence in the United States. The team is expected to arrive in Tijuana on Sunday.
Iran will begin its Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. The team is also scheduled to play Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle.
Ambassador Pasandideh said the United States had never formally indicated that it opposed the Iranian team staying on its territory. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers that individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would not be allowed to join Iran’s World Cup delegation.
The issue gained attention after Mehdi Taj, who previously served as a commander in the Revolutionary Guards, was reportedly denied entry to attend the tournament draw in Washington in December.
Pasandideh argued that Iran’s participation in the World Cup reflected its desire to resolve tensions with Washington. He said that competing in a tournament hosted by a country widely viewed as an adversary demonstrated Iran’s commitment to peace.
Meanwhile, efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict have continued at a slow pace, with both Tehran and Washington appearing to move cautiously toward an interim agreement even as military operations persist.