World Cup Kicks Off Next Month, Iran Says National Team Has Not Yet Received US Visas
The head of Iran's football federation announced that the national team has not yet been issued visas to travel to the United States for the 2026 World Cup. This raises concerns that political conflicts could impact the international sporting event.
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- 📰 Published: May 15, 2026 at 07:24
- 🔍 Collected: May 15, 2026 at 07:32 (7 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 15, 2026 at 09:58 (2h 26m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Tehran, 14th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Iranian state media reported that the president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, stated today that the national team has not yet been issued visas to travel to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted Taj as saying: "Tomorrow or the day after, we will have a decisive meeting with FIFA. They must give us assurances because the visa issue has not yet been resolved."
He added: "We have not received any notification from them about who has been issued a visa. No one has been issued a visa yet."
Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since 1980.
According to Taj, the players are expected to travel to the Turkish capital, Ankara, for fingerprinting as part of the visa process, but they are trying to arrange for it to be done in Antalya, in southwestern Turkey, so the players do not have to travel to Ankara.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that Iran has been in a state of war with the United States and Israel since February 28 of this year, although a ceasefire has been in effect since April 8.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on the social media platform X that a host country cannot prevent a team from participating in the World Cup on the grounds of political disputes, sanctions, or its own unilateral domestic decisions.
The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The Iranian national team will be based in Tucson, Arizona, during the tournament.
Iran's first group stage match of this World Cup is scheduled for June 15 in Los Angeles against New Zealand. They will also face Belgium and Egypt, who are in the same Group G. (Compiled by: Yang Chao-yen) 1150515
(CNA Tehran, 14th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Iranian state media reported that the president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, stated today that the national team has not yet been issued visas to travel to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) quoted Taj as saying: "Tomorrow or the day after, we will have a decisive meeting with FIFA. They must give us assurances because the visa issue has not yet been resolved."
He added: "We have not received any notification from them about who has been issued a visa. No one has been issued a visa yet."
Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since 1980.
According to Taj, the players are expected to travel to the Turkish capital, Ankara, for fingerprinting as part of the visa process, but they are trying to arrange for it to be done in Antalya, in southwestern Turkey, so the players do not have to travel to Ankara.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that Iran has been in a state of war with the United States and Israel since February 28 of this year, although a ceasefire has been in effect since April 8.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on the social media platform X that a host country cannot prevent a team from participating in the World Cup on the grounds of political disputes, sanctions, or its own unilateral domestic decisions.
The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The Iranian national team will be based in Tucson, Arizona, during the tournament.
Iran's first group stage match of this World Cup is scheduled for June 15 in Los Angeles against New Zealand. They will also face Belgium and Egypt, who are in the same Group G. (Compiled by: Yang Chao-yen) 1150515