ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — Iran’s World Cup soccer team departed from Turkey for their training base in Mexico on Saturday, with some members of their entourage reportedly still lacking U.S. visas ahead of three group matches in the United States later this month.
Hedayat Mombeini, the Iranian Football Federation’s secretary-general, and vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi were among 14 staff members without U.S. visas, according to Iranian state television. It remains unclear if the federation’s president, Mehdi Taj, has received a visa.
The team's participation in the World Cup has been complicated by the ongoing conflict in Iran. Visa processing issues previously led Iran to relocate its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, near the California border.
The Iranian federation accused the U.S. of “vindictive behavior” for denying visas to key managerial and administrative members of the team, stating that this has denied the Iranian national team a fair opportunity in the competition. The federation plans to address the issue with FIFA, the world soccer authority.
In response to a social media post from U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack, who praised his staff for processing the Iran team’s visas, the Iranian Embassy in Ankara stated that such conduct violates FIFA regulations and the U.S.'s obligations as a host country.
A U.S. official indicated that all players on the Iranian team were approved for visas, while another noted that some staff members may have been denied visas for providing false information in their applications.
The Iranian squad has been training in Antalya and has received visas from the Mexican Embassy in Ankara. The players departed from the Mardan Palace hotel in Antalya and were scheduled to fly directly to Mexico.
Iran's first two matches will take place in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21, followed by a game in Seattle against Egypt on June 26. If both Iran and the U.S. finish second in their respective groups, they could meet in the round of 32 on July 3 in Arlington, Texas.
In March, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed concerns about Iran's participation in the tournament, citing player safety. However, the Iranian national team responded that they would not be excluded from playing.
Iran finalized its team on Monday, including 17 players from clubs that have not played since February due to the conflict. Star forward Sardar Azmoun was dropped from the team in March following a social media post that displeased Iranian authorities. The sports minister had previously stated that participation in the World Cup would not be possible, but the federation confirmed in May that they would proceed with a team, insisting that all players and staff, including those with military ties, be granted visas.
