Iran’s 2026 Fifa World Cup squad has landed in Mexico as a deepening dispute over visas and stadium access continues to overshadow the tournament’s build-up.
The team touched down in Tijuana early on Sunday morning local time, having relocated their training base from the American city of Tucson, Arizona, in late May.
All three of Iran’s group stage fixtures are scheduled to take place on US soil, but players and support staff have been restricted to flying in and out of the country on match days only.
Iran has confirmed that 15 officials and support staff have been denied US visas altogether, a situation one official described as political interference in sport in its worst form.
US officials stated that visas had been issued to all players and “necessary support staff” on Friday, ten days before Iran’s opening fixture against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June.
However, according to Iranian state-linked media, those denied entry include the football federation chief, his deputy, and a media director, among others.
US officials warned that Iran would not be allowed to “abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences”, reflecting comments made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier in the week.
Rubio had stated that the Iranian delegation would not be permitted to include individuals with links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a powerful branch of the Iranian armed forces.
Several players within the Iranian squad have completed mandatory military service with the organisation, adding further complexity to the already fraught diplomatic situation.
Iran’s embassy in Turkey accused the US of “politically biased interference in sport” by denying visas to a “large portion of the managerial and executive staff” and “technical advisers”.
Embassy officials also called on Fifa, football’s world governing body, to intervene directly in the visa dispute before Iran’s opening game.
Iran secured their place at this summer’s tournament by finishing top of their qualification group in March 2025, almost a year before US and Israeli attacks on the country began.
This World Cup, jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, marks the first time a host nation has received the team of a country it is at war with.
Beyond their clash with New Zealand, Iran are also scheduled to face Belgium in California and Egypt in Seattle to complete their group stage campaign.
