Iran’s men’s soccer national team poses for photos before boarding a flight to Tijuana, Mexico, Saturday. (EPA-Yonhap) With the conflict between the United States and Iran still unresolved, a new controversy has emerged ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after several members of Iran's national team staff were reportedly denied entry visas to the United States, prompting a strong protest from Tehran.On Friday, Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Türkiye and President Donald Trump's special envoy for Syria, announced in a statement on X that visas had been issued to Iranian players through the US Embassy in Türkiye."Sports transcend borders," Barrack said.The announcement effectively cleared the way for Iran's players to participate in the tournament.However, tensions flared again after reports emerged that visa applications for more than ten key members of the team's support staff had been denied.Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that 12 individuals were refused visas, including the secretary general of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran, the national team's delegation chief, and media officers responsible for team operations.Al Jazeera reported that 15 people were denied visas. An Iranian state broadcaster assigned to the team's training camp in Antalya likewise reported that 15 staff members had been refused entry documents.The New York Times reported that Mehdi Taj, who has previously been associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was also among those denied visas. Iranian media, however, stated that Taj had never applied for a visa.On Saturday, the Iranian Embassy in Türkiye condemned the US action in a statement posted on its official X account."The United States has elevated its deliberate and discriminatory treatment of Iran's national football team to an unprecedented level," the embassy said.The embassy criticized Barrack's announcement for highlighting only the issuance of player visas while failing to mention that visas had been denied to numerous delegation members, including administrative staff and technical advisers essential to the operation of the national team.The affected Iranian staff members are now pursuing an alternative plan.According to Tasnim, they departed Türkiye with the national team on June 6 and traveled to Tijuana, which borders the United States. From there, they intend to reapply for US visas and attempt to enter the country again.Iran has been drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand. All three of Iran's group-stage matches are scheduled to be played in or near Los Angeles, including games in Inglewood and Seattle.After war broke out between the United States and Iran on February 28, uncertainty briefly surrounded Iran's participation in the World Cup. Ultimately, however, the team avoided the prospect of missing the tournament.Nevertheless, the conflict and resulting diplomatic tensions forced Iran to alter its World Cup preparations. The team had originally planned to establish its base camp in Tucson but instead relocated the camp to Tijuana, Mexico, where it has been preparing for the tournament.(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)