Iran’s 2026 World Cup squad arrived in Mexico on Sunday amid a diplomatic dispute, following the US refusal to issue visas for several support staff members.
Upon arriving at the Tijuana airport, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei expressed frustration over the delay. "We should have been here last week. A 12-hour time difference requires two weeks to adjust," he said. "In these tournaments, ethical and human considerations must come before technical matters. That was not the case for us."
The team flew from their training camp in Turkey, landing in Tijuana at 5 am local time on Sunday. They will be based in the Mexican border city throughout the tournament, despite playing all three of their group-stage matches in the United States.
Players and coaching staff exited the plane under heavy security, including a contingent of Mexican National Guard troops. A small group of fans waving Iranian flags welcomed them from a distance. The visa dispute comes just days before the 2026 World Cup kicks off on Thursday. The tournament is being jointly hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada.
Ghalenoei thanked FIFA for its efforts to secure entry but added, "We are upset about this behavior. It has never happened before."Team captain Ehsan Hajsafi stated he would complain to FIFA regarding the visa delays. “Why so late?” he asked, noting the challenges Iran has faced over the past year. Despite the setbacks, Hajsafi emphasized that the team is fully prepared and confident about advancing from the group stage.
Iran is in Group G. They will play New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles, followed by Egypt on June 26 in Seattle. This marks the first men’s World Cup where a host nation receives a team from a country it is currently at war with.
The squad spent three weeks training in Turkey, utilizing the time to apply for North American visas. Players received their US visas just before departing, according to US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack.
However, Iran’s embassy in Turkey reported that 15 administrative and management staff were denied entry. The embassy condemned the "deliberate and discriminatory treatment" and urged FIFA to hold the US accountable for violating tournament rules.
Further complicating matters, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said the team’s visa conditions require them to enter and leave the US on the exact same day as their matches. "We can enter in the morning, but we must leave the same day," Pasandideh told reporters.
This contradicts a prior statement from team spokesman Amir Mahdi Alavi, who had told state television the team received multiple-entry visas allowing them to arrive one or two days before kickoff. Furthermore, FIFA regulations require coaches to hold a press conference at the match venue the day prior to the game, making same-day travel highly problematic.
Iran’s football federation called the visa denials "political interference in sport in its worst form." Federation chief Mehdi Taj is reportedly among those denied entry.
A US official declined to address specific visa refusals but stated: “We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses.”
