Iran World Cup squad flies to Mexico amid US visa dispute

ANTALYA, Turkey (AFP) — Iran’s national footballers departed Turkey for Mexico on Saturday while a sharp dispute between Tehran and Washington grew over the United States’ refusal to grant visas to some members of the team’s support delegation.

The disagreement came only days ahead of the 2026 World Cup, scheduled to begin on June 11 and being staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Iranian state television said the squad’s flight left at about 6:10 pm local time, or 1510 GMT, bound for Tijuana in northwestern Mexico. The city is to serve as Iran’s tournament base, and the journey was expected to take about 20 hours.

The broadcaster reported that the team had left in the evening for Mexico to take part in the World Cup after completing preparations in Turkey.

Team Melli spent close to three weeks training in Antalya, where the delegation also used the camp period to seek travel visas for Mexico, Canada and the United States.

Tom Barrack, Washington’s envoy to Turkey, wrote on X late Friday that the players had been granted their US visas on the night before they were due to travel to Mexico.

However, Iran’s embassy in Turkey said many people attached to the delegation, including managerial and executive personnel, were refused visas, drawing an angry reaction from Tehran.

“You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran’s national football team to its highest level,” the embassy wrote on X on Saturday. It added: “FIFA must hold the US accountable for violations of its rules and for the discriminatory treatment of Iran’s national football team.”

Iranian state television said visas had been issued to the players and technical staff, but that 15 people from administrative and management roles had not received them. The broadcaster said the issue would be pursued in Mexico.

Iran’s Football Federation also condemned the decision. Its president, Mehdi Taj, was reported to be among those denied a visa. The federation called the move “political interference in sport in its worst form”.

The federation said the US government, by carrying its hostile conduct towards Iranians into sport, had denied the national side the chance to compete free from discrimination. It said it would take the matter up with FIFA.

A US administration official, responding to the dispute, said “the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued”.

The official did not directly discuss the people whose applications were refused, but added: “We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences.”