Iran’s football players for the FIFA World Cup have received their visas to enter the United States (US), as stated by a White House official, just 10 days before their first game in Los Angeles during a conflict between the two nations.
Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh mentioned late Thursday that the team had not yet received their US visas, but the White House official confirmed they were granted overnight.
The US Ambassador to Turkiye, Tom Barrack verified the visas in a message posted on X on Friday.
He expressed pride in the US Embassy team in Ankara for their efforts in processing the visas for Iran’s national football team on their way to the FIFA World Cup in the United States, in response to a news report about the visa approval.
According to the semi-official Fars news agency on Friday, the US had not yet issued visas to some members of the Iran team’s technical and administrative staff for the FIFA World Cup.
Iran’s federation has not yet commented on this development.
Fars reported, without citing a source, that visas for some members of the national team’s technical and executive staff have not been issued, and the US embassy has so far declined to provide them.
The development comes after the Iranian national football team was issued visas for Mexico ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, paving the way for their preparations for the global tournament.
Mexico will serve as Iran’s base camp during the World Cup, providing the team with a key training and operational hub throughout the competition.
Read more: Iran’s World Cup preparations advance after Mexico visa approval
