Iran's World Cup team supervisor, Mahdi Mohammad Nabi, has accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of failing to uphold promises regarding visa access for the Iranian soccer federation to attend the team's matches in the United States. Nabi, who is among 15 federation members denied U.S. visas, stated that FIFA regulations and protocols must be universally adhered to.
Nabi expressed his hope that Infantino would honor his commitments to the Iranian national team. The U.S. State Department has cited concerns about potential misuse of the visa system, stating it "will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the U.S. under false pretenses."
The visa difficulties have prompted the Iranian team to relocate their training base to Tijuana, Mexico, from Arizona, raising significant questions about the organization of the 2026 World Cup, which is co-hosted by Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. The U.S. has also denied entry to several Iranian and African journalists covering the tournament, and has implemented specific measures for countries with high rates of visa overstays, alongside travel bans for nationals from certain qualifying nations.
Nabi described the situation as an unprecedented "lack of coordination" at a World Cup, asserting that the visa saga has negatively impacted the players' ability to adapt and placed the team at a disadvantage. He declined to comment on the U.S. State Department's specific allegations, emphasizing the team's focus on sports rather than political engagement.
In contrast to previous tournaments, such as Russia's implementation of a visa-free system for the 2018 World Cup, the current U.S. visa restrictions present a stark difference. Iranian player Saeid Ezzatollahi noted that while the players understand their families cannot attend due to visa issues, the federation was assured that staff visas would be secured. He highlighted the significant toll the ongoing conflict in Iran has taken on the players, despite their dedication to focusing on the competition.
