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The United States government has notified Iran’s World Cup squad that players must enter and leave US soil on the same day they play their matches, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, announced on Saturday.
Iranian envoy Pasandideh explained the strict visa restrictions to reporters, stating that the team can enter the country in the morning but must depart that very evening.
The Iranian squad will play three group-stage matches in the United States, with games scheduled in Los Angeles and Seattle.
Due to the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Tehran, the team has established its training base in Mexico instead of using its originally intended site in Tucson, Arizona.
Geopolitical tensions heavily impacted the team’s preparation, as the U.S. embassy initially refused to issue visas to several members of the delegation.
While the players ultimately received their documents overnight, the U.S. government denied visas to 15 administrative, executive, and management staff members.
This disruption forced Tehran to negotiate a last-minute relocation of their base camp to Tijuana, Mexico, to bypass the visa deadlock and minimise the team’s footprint on U.S. soil.
