{"id":1480,"date":"2026-06-08T07:05:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T07:05:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1480"},"modified":"2026-06-08T07:05:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T07:05:45","slug":"iranian-officials-claim-u-s-denied-visas-for-team-staff-ahead-of-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1480","title":{"rendered":"Iranian officials claim U.S. denied visas for team staff ahead of World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Officials from Iran called foul over the weekend, claiming \u201cdeliberate and discriminatory treatment\u201d after the U.S. denied visas to several members of its national soccer team ahead of this month\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n

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Iran\u2019s national team will play its three group stage matches in Seattle and Los Angeles, but players and coaches agreed to move their base camp to Tijuana, Mexico, due to safety concerns in the U.S.<\/p>\n

The Iranian squad had been practicing in Turkey before flying directly to Mexico on Saturday. On social media, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack took a victory lap for facilitating the visas on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cProud of our outstanding team at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for their work processing visas for Iran\u2019s national football team on their road to the @FIFAWorldCup in the United States,\u201d Mr. Barrack wrote. \u201cSports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post drew immediate backlash from disgruntled Iranian officials, who have continually expressed concerns about their team\u2019s ability to participate in the World Cup due to the ongoing military conflict between the U.S. and Iran.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou cannot whitewash conduct that violates FIFA regulations and breaches the United States\u2019 host obligations merely by praising yourselves,\u201d a response from the Iranian embassy in Turkey read. \u201cThis represents the worst possible form of politically biased interference in sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every Iranian player received their visas, as did each member of the coaching staff. However, Iranian Football Federation leaders Hedayat Mombeini, the organization\u2019s secretary general, and its vice president, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, were not issued visas.<\/p>\n

It was not immediately clear whether Mehdi Taj, the president of the Iranian Football Federation, had received a visa.<\/p>\n

Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed concerns about the visa process in April after President Trump mentioned that it would not be \u201cappropriate\u201d for the Iranian team to participate in the World Cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can\u2019t bring a bunch of [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,\u201d said Mr. Rubio.<\/p>\n

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Military service is required for men in Iran, and some members of the Iranian soccer team served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Each player from the 30-man squad received a visa, regardless of their prior military status.<\/p>\n

However, the visa process has been far from smooth. The Iranian team will be required to leave U.S. soil the same day of each match, as the Trump administration will not allow the group to remain in the U.S. overnight.<\/p>\n

The Iranian Football Federation said the visa process exemplified the U.S.\u2019s continued \u201cvindictive behavior\u201d toward the Iranian squad.<\/p>\n

\u201cVisas were eventually issued. Personally, however, I do have a complaint about FIFA,\u201d Iran defender Ehsah Hajsafi said Sunday. \u201cWhy did it take so long? \u2026 From here, I would like to ask FIFA to resolve this issue so that, God willing, the situation can be resolved in the coming days.\u201d<\/p>\n

On its website, the organization claimed American officials \u201ceffectively denied the Iranian national team the opportunity for a level playing field and a competition free from discrimination.\u201d The written post claimed that the team\u2019s leaders would file a grievance with FIFA.<\/p>\n

But FIFA President Gianni Infantino has allied himself with President Trump throughout the lead-up to the World Cup. Mr. Infantino awarded Mr. Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December and denied Iran\u2019s requests to move its group-stage matches from the U.S. to Mexico or Canada. The other North American nations are also hosting this year\u2019s World Cup through a joint bid with the U.S.<\/p>\n

In the aftermath of Operation Epic Fury, Iranian officials said it would be impossible for their team to compete in its fourth consecutive World Cup as originally scheduled. But FIFA never outlined a process that would\u2019ve moved Iran\u2019s group-stage matches or provided a potential replacement team.<\/p>\n

The initial apprehension faded slightly as Iranian officials confirmed last month that they would send a squad to the North American World Cup.<\/p>\n

Iran opens World Cup play against New Zealand on June 15 in Southern California. They\u2019ll return to SoFi Stadium \u2014 home of the NFL\u2019s Chargers and Rams \u2014 for another Group G match against Belgium on June 21. The Iranians\u2019 group-play schedule concludes with a match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.<\/p>\n

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\u2022 This article is based in part on wire service reports.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Officials from Iran called foul over the weekend, claiming “deliberate and discriminatory treatment” after the U.S. denied visas to several members of its national soccer team ahead of this month’s World Cup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1479,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[143,142],"tags":[17,644],"class_list":["post-1480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","category-sports","tag-iran","tag-world-cup"],"yoast_head":"\nIranian officials claim U.S. denied visas for team staff ahead of World Cup - Home Buyer Relocation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=1480\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Iranian officials claim U.S. denied visas for team staff ahead of World Cup - 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