Visa restrictions faced by Iran's national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States have come to light through the account of an Iranian journalist. Speaking to RIA Novosti, Iranian journalist Mehran said the US did not grant visas to members of the Iranian sports delegation and press representatives.
Mehran recalled that during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Iranian fans were able to freely enter the country to support their team. "Iran won its first match in the tournament in Russia against Morocco in St. Petersburg. After the match, while working on the street, I felt like I was in Tehran," the journalist said, emphasizing how warm the atmosphere was at the time.
Noting that only a very limited group was allowed to participate from Iran in the World Cup in the US, Mehran said, "Only the footballers, a few analysts, and the technical team received visas. Iranian journalists were not granted visas." He added that he was able to enter the country thanks to a European passport.
Mehran stated that a similar attitude in Russia in 2018 would have sparked major backlash. "If such an approach had been taken in Russia, the media would have gone crazy. If something like this had happened against the US, it would have caused an uproar," he said.
The veteran journalist, who has been covering World Cups since 2004, praised the organization of the 2018 tournament in Russia. "Perfect organization, great transportation. The high-speed train between Moscow and St. Petersburg, beautiful cities," he said.
The US Department of Homeland Security previously announced that Iran's national team was allowed to arrive in Seattle two days before their match on June 26 and had to leave the country immediately after the game the same day. Iran is in second place in its group with two draws, trailing Egypt.
The Iranian Football Federation planned to file a complaint with FIFA over the restrictions faced by the team during tournament preparations. Iran's Ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandide, stated that the national team was prohibited from being on US soil except on match days.
Iran national team head coach Amir Galenoi also said his players are in worse conditions compared to athletes from other countries. Galenoi assessed, "Our team is not given adequate preparation and rest time. This treatment affects our results."
