Iran’s World Cup preparations have been thrown into uncertainty after officials said the team has been instructed to leave the United States within 24 hours of its matches, while several members of its coaching and support staff remain without U.S. visas just days before the tournament begins.
The Iranian squad departed Turkey on Saturday for a training base in Tijuana, Mexico, where it will be headquartered throughout the competition after abandoning earlier plans to establish camp in Arizona because of visa complications and political tensions between Tehran and Washington.
Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said the conditions attached to the team’s visas would require players to enter and leave U.S. territory on the same day as their matches. The reported restriction would be highly unusual for a World Cup team, as FIFA regulations generally require coaches and players to attend pre-match media obligations and training sessions at host venues before kickoff.
The visa dispute has intensified after Iranian officials accused the United States of denying entry to a significant number of key delegation members, including football federation executives and technical advisers considered essential to the team’s operations. Iranian authorities described the move as discriminatory and politically motivated.
Iranian state media reported that several senior federation officials, including Secretary General Hedayat Mombeini and other administrative leaders, had not received visas. Those affected are expected to remain in Mexico while efforts continue to secure entry approval before the tournament gets underway.
U.S. officials have maintained that visas have been issued to players and necessary support personnel, while stressing that the immigration process would not be used to admit individuals deemed security concerns. Washington has also indicated that persons linked to Iran’s military institutions could face additional scrutiny or exclusion.
The dispute has prompted Iran’s football federation to threaten a formal complaint to FIFA, arguing that the restrictions violate international sporting principles and interfere with the team’s ability to compete under normal conditions.
Iran will play all three of its Group G matches in the United States, beginning against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 before facing Belgium and Egypt later in the group stage.
The controversy adds a geopolitical dimension to the tournament, which marks the first World Cup in which a host nation is set to welcome a country with which it is engaged in active hostilities. As the competition approaches, uncertainty remains over whether Iran’s full delegation will be allowed to participate and whether travel restrictions could affect the team’s preparations and performance on football’s biggest stage.
TheGuardian/BBC
