Following the imposition of entry restrictions on the Iranian national team for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran will officially file a complaint with FIFA.
Under the imposed restrictions, the Iranian team is only permitted to travel to the United States one day before its match and, according to its visa conditions, must leave U.S. soil immediately on the same day as the game. Amir Ghalenoei, the head coach of the Iranian national football team, stated after a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in Los Angeles that Iran is the "most oppressed" team in the tournament.
The Iranian Football Federation has now announced in a statement that the national team's travel restrictions "contradict the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and could negatively impact the teams' preparation process." Consequently, the federation has officially expressed its dissatisfaction and confirmed that it will submit its formal complaint to FIFA through the appropriate channels.
The United States issued conditional visas for the players and coaches of the Iranian national football team and refused to issue visas for certain technical staff members, including Mehdi Taj. It has been reported that the past membership of some team affiliates in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was the factor behind these exclusions and restrictions.
