Iran's World Cup squad granted US visas ten days before Los Angeles opener

Iran’s World Cup squad has been granted visas to enter the United States, a White House official confirmed on Friday, resolving a diplomatic standoff that had cast doubt over the team’s participation just ten days before their first match in Los Angeles.

Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, had stated late on Thursday that the squad had still not received their US visas, but the White House official said these were granted overnight. The delay had already forced a last-minute logistical change: Tehran negotiated a move of the team’s base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, driven by the visa uncertainty and a broader reluctance within Iran to maintain a significant presence on US soil. The squad is scheduled to land in Tijuana early on Sunday morning.

Iran are drawn in Group G and will play their opening match against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.

The backdrop to the visa dispute is the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, which has transformed the 2026 World Cup into something of a geopolitical flashpoint. It is the first edition of the tournament, since its founding in 1930, in which a host nation is set to receive a country with which it is at war.

While the US never formally stated it did not want the Iranian team on its territory, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers on Tuesday that Washington would not permit individuals linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to be included in the country’s World Cup delegation. That condition could affect several players in the Iranian squad who have completed mandatory military service with the organisation. Ambassador Pasandideh did not directly address whether those players had been cleared as part of the visa approvals.