WASHINGTON, June 16. /TASS/. Iranian footballer Mehdi Torabi's US visa expired after the team's opening group stage match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Agence France-Presse reported citing Iranian news agency IRNA.
According to the agency, the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) has started the process of obtaining a new visa.
The Iranian football team qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and, following the draw, was placed in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. Iran has already played its first out of three group stage matches in Los Angeles against New Zealand (2-2). It is scheduled to play again in Los Angeles on June 21 against Belgium and is set to play another match in Seattle against Egypt on June 26.
On June 3, Iranian Ambassador to Turkey Mohammad Hassan Habibollahzadeh announced that everyone on the Iranian football team had been granted entry visas to participate in this year’s FIFA World Cup. However, TASS reported later that a part of the Iranian delegation, including some on the coaching staff, were denied entry visas.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom announced on May 17 that representatives of FIFA and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) held a productive meeting in Turkey, giving FIFA confidence that the Iranian national team would indeed take part in the upcoming World Cup.
