Iran's World Cup 2026 preparations unravel as US denies visas to key coaching staff

Iran’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup have been thrown into disarray after the United States denied visas to key members of the national team’s coaching and technical staff, with Tehran accusing Washington of “discriminatory treatment” in what has become a deepening diplomatic crisis ahead of the tournament.

Iran’s embassy in Turkey condemned the US government for what it called “the worst possible form of politically-biased interference in sport”, questioning why visas had been granted to players but refused to a “large portion of the managerial and executive staff, technical advisers, and others who are an integral part of any national football team”. The embassy posted its rebuke on X after US envoy Tom Barrack announced that player visas had been issued, a statement the embassy characterised as misleading.

The US State Department maintained that “the visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup” had been issued, while adding that it would “not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences”.

In a further complication, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, has told reporters that the team will only be permitted to enter the US on the day of each group-stage match and must leave immediately after the final whistle. “We can enter in the morning and we must leave the same day,” Pasandideh said, citing visa restrictions. FIFA rules require all competing nations to travel the day before each fixture and attend a pre-match press conference at the stadium — obligations Iran will apparently be unable to meet.

The national federation had already been forced to relocate the team’s tournament base from Arizona to Mexico in response to the diplomatic standoff, but the ambassador’s latest disclosure suggests that arrangement offers only a partial solution.

The crisis has been building for months. In March, US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he did not believe it would be “appropriate” for Iran to attend the tournament, citing safety concerns.

Iran are drawn in Group G and open their campaign against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on 15 June, before facing Belgium at the same venue on 21 June and concluding their group stage against Egypt in Seattle on 26 June. Whether they will be able to fulfil all three fixtures under the current visa conditions remains unresolved.