When the U.S. Embassy in Ankara formally announced that it had "processed visas for the Iranian national team," the Iranian side responded immediately: in a post on X, diplomats pointed out that the statement deliberately omitted the main point — 14 staff members, including the federation president, secretary-general, and media director, never received documents.
Who exactly — and why this is no coincidence
Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, is a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). He attempted to enter the United States in December 2025 — for the World Cup draw — and was already denied then. Now — again. Along with him, federation secretary-general Hedayat Mombini, vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, and media director Mohsen Motamedkia were left without American visas.
"We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to secretly smuggle terrorists into the United States under false pretenses."
Anonymous U.S. official, Associated Press
State Secretary Marco Rubio formulated the position openly back in April: the problem is not with the players, but with those Iran "would like to bring with them" — people with connections to the IRGC, an organization on the U.S. terrorist list.
Match day — and then immediately leave
The players received multi-entry visas, but entry conditions turned out to be strict. Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfahz Pasandieh, told journalists: the team is obligated to arrive in the United States on the day of the game and leave the same day. This directly conflicts with FIFA regulations — the World Cup rules stipulate that a team's coach is obligated to hold a press conference the day before the match at the venue.
Team spokesman Amir Magdi Alavi disputed this interpretation on state television, stating that multi-entry visas allow arrival one day before the first match and two days before subsequent ones. Which version corresponds to the actual visa conditions — as of the time of publication — remains unclear.
Federation appeals to FIFA — but leverage is limited
The Iranian Football Federation called the U.S. decision "unsportsmanlike and purely political" and stated that it would raise this issue with FIFA as the host country, obligated to "resolve and complete" visa documentation for all necessary personnel. The Iranian embassy in Turkey called on FIFA to "hold the United States accountable for violating its own rules."
However, FIFA found itself in a trap: formally, it does not control the immigration policies of host nations, and the tournament hosting agreement contains no enforcement mechanism for visa obligations — only a declaration of "assistance" in delegations' entry.
- Three group stage matches Iran plays in the United States: Los Angeles and Seattle
- 14 staff members were left without American visas
- Mehdi Taj — received a U.S. denial for the second consecutive time
- The team flew to Tijuana (Mexico), where the training camp is located
If FIFA does not force the United States to comply or publicly document a violation of the tournament organization conditions — the next World Cup host will receive a precedent: the hosting country can use visa policy as a tool of pressure, and there will be no consequences.
