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The Iran national team has been granted visas to enter the United States for the 2026 World Cup, but several team officials have seen their visas denied.Iran's status for the tournament has been in doubt since the U.S. and Israel launched an armed conflict against the nation in late February.In a last-minute change, Iran announced in late May that it would shift its World Cup base camp from Tucson, Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico.Team Melli has been holding a pre-tournament camp in Turkey and is scheduled to fly to Mexico on Saturday, June 6.Having already received visas to enter Mexico, Iran's players have been granted visas to enter the United States, where the team is scheduled to play all three of its group-stage games.But according to Iran's Turkish embassy, visas to enter the U.S. "were denied to a large portion of the managerial and executive staff, technical advisers, and others who are an integral part of any national football team."In response to Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Iran's embassy accused the U.S. of "deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran’s national football team."The New York Times reported that among those whose visas were denied was Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian soccer federation.Taj is a former official in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization.Multiple players on Iran's World Cup roster, including captain Mehdi Taremi, have also served in the IRGC."The visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued," a U.S. administration official told USA TODAY Sports in a statement."We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses."The Iran soccer federation has been contacted for comment.Iran is set to play its first Group G match on June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, where it will also face Belgium before taking on Egypt in Seattle.
