TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Mehdi Taremi, Iran's national team striker, slams US visa policy, which he believes has created tension ahead of the 2026 World Cup. By rejecting the visas of Iranian delegates, the US is hurting the friendly atmosphere associated with the world's biggest football tournament.
Co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, this year's World Cup is marred by the ongoing war between Tehran and Washington as well as the US' visa issues.
Iran arrived at their training camp in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sunday morning, 7 June 2026, after flying from Antalya, Turkey. The ream was initially going to use the training center in Tucson, Arizona, but moved to the Mexican border city upon FIFA's recommendation.
Despite this, 14 Iranian staff members failed to secure entrance to the US, where all of Iran's group matches will be held. "I've been to three World Cups and they always say once you get off the plane and you enter the host country, there's just a unique atmosphere of friendliness and global-ness," Taremi said as quoted by ESPN.
"Unfortunately, I'm not feeling it right now. There's a lot of tension right now in this World Cup. You feel it in the atmosphere and unfortunately, it's because of actions like [visa denials]. Maybe that's just my personal feeling," said the player who represented Inter Milan last season.
Iran will face New Zealand in the first match of the group stage in Inglewood, California. Six days later, they will meet Belgium. After that, they will play against Egypt in Seattle on June 26, 2026.
Reasons Behind the Visa Denial
Vice President of the Iran Football Federation, Mehdi Mohammed Nabi, is among those denied entrance to the US. According to him, the team is not only composed of players and coaches, but also technical staff and management supporting the team's operations.
"We're still pursuing [the visas]. FIFA has acknowledged that, and we're still looking into this. Hopefully it gets resolved in the next few days. There should be no discrimination in a sport. Everyone should be treated equally and hopefully this is resolved soon," said Nabi.
The US Department of State explained that visas required for the main players and support staff of Iran have been issued. However, the US government reiterated that they will not allow the visa system to be used to admit people who are deemed to have purposes other than sports interests.
The US government did not provide an explanation regarding the individual cases of rejection.
Iran's preparation for the World Cup has also been disrupted by the conflict that erupted since late February. Following the airstrikes by Israel and the United States against Iran, tensions in the region have ramped up, making sports activities difficult to run.
Iran's domestic competitions were temporarily suspended, causing the national team to relocate their training center to Turkey.
Iran's participation in the World Cup was questioned, but FIFA has reiterated that the country will still participate in the tournament. Nevertheless, Nabi said the team's focus remains on football. "Our players are professional and they focus on the training and regimen and the program we have and they don't get distracted by the things that are happening outside," he said.
Another Iranian striker, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, admitted that the situation was not easy to deal with. According to him, players must continue to monitor the condition of their families and loved ones back home amid the ongoing war. "It's been very difficult, I'll be honest with you, for every single one of us with the whole situation. You have to keep checking on your family, on your loved ones, on your people back home and of course it's affecting the group," said Jahanbakhsh.
In addition to visa issues, the Iran Football Federation also revealed that FIFA revoked Iran's allotted fan tickets. Iran initially received about eight percent of the stadium's capacity in ticket allocation.
ESPN's report mentioned that the US economic sanctions against Iran prevented US-based organizers from processing transactions made by Iranian citizens. FIFA is currently trying to find a solution so that Iranian supporters living abroad can still purchase tickets from this allocation.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the government would closely monitor the Iranian delegation to ensure that no individuals with ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are included. "We have no problem with the athletes, as we stated earlier, or their support staff. But what we're not going to allow is for them to embed in their delegation a bunch of people that we know have nothing to do with athletics and have ties to the IRGC or things of that nature," said Rubio.
Infatino Hopes for 'Positive Atmosphere'
FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed his relief after Iran's national team was confirmed to participate in the 2026 World Cup. From the start, he was confident that Iran would still take part in the quadrennial tournament despite the geopolitical situation involving the country.
"[When] people were saying it would be impossible for Iran to come to the World Cup—I promised them that they would come and if I had to go with a bus to Tehran and drive them I would do that," said Infantino.
FIFA continues to assert that Iran will still participate in the 2026 World Cup. "There are challenges, and of course, it is not easy. When Iran plays, the stadium will be full and I hope there will be a positive atmosphere. Because this is football," said Infantino.
Read: Iran Football Team Granted US Visas for World Cup, Official Says
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