World Cup: Iran players granted US visas amid conflict

Iran players ‌have received visas to enter the United States, ahead of the forthcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

A White House official disclosed on Friday, 10 days before Iran plays in Los Angeles, that the players had received their visas, after Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said on Thursday that they had not received them.

Iran’s ⁠semi-official news agency Tasnim reported that those who had not received visas included Executive Director Mehdi Kharati, the secretary general of the soccer federation, Hedayat Mombini, and Media Director Mohsen Motamedkia.

The agency added that staff members without visas would travel to Mexico with the team while efforts to obtain visas continue.

The U.S., Mexico, and Canada are co-hosting the biggest global sporting event, which starts on Wednesday.

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The war on Iran, launched by the U.S. and Israel in February, has turned the World Cup into a geopolitical contest, with both sides appearing to use the tournament for political posturing.

This is the first World Cup since its inception in 1930 in which a host nation is set to receive a country it is at war with.

Tehran negotiated a last-minute move of the team’s base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, due to the visa issues and a growing feeling ‌in Iran ⁠that the squad’s presence in the United States should be kept to a minimum.

They are scheduled to land in Tijuana early on Sunday.

Iran are due to play their first Group G match on June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, where they will also face Belgium before taking on Egypt in Seattle.