US admits only 4 Iran World Cup officials, turns away 11 others

The United States has granted entry to only four members of Iran's delegation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The BBC reported Saturday that of the 15 Iranian delegation members whose US entry visas were initially denied, 10 reapplied after arriving in Tijuana, Mexico, where the team has been training. Only four received approval, while 11 were turned away.

Those granted visas included two staff members from the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran's international department and one performance analyst, the BBC said.

All six members who reapplied after their initial rejections — including Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran President Mehdi Taj — were denied. One media officer did not reapply at all.

The US, which is at war with Iran, had already drawn criticism for allowing only players on the Iranian national team to enter the country while denying visas to key support staff.

Iran, placed in Group G, will play all three of its group-stage matches on US soil — against New Zealand on Monday, Belgium on June 21 and Egypt on June 27.

Iran had originally planned to set up its base camp in Tucson, Arizona, but relocated its training to Tijuana — just across the border from California — due to the ongoing conflict with the US.

With the US imposing strict limits on the delegation's stay, Iranian players must cross back into Tijuana immediately after each match before returning to the US for the next game.