Iran’s soccer team still does not have U.S. visas and is not competing on “equal terms,” Tehran’s envoy to Mexico said.
Published May 28, 2026
Iran’s soccer team still does not have U.S. visas and is unable to compete in the World Cup “on equal terms” because it is difficult to practice for the tournament, Tehran’s ambassador to Mexico said Thursday.
Abolfazl Pasandide visited Tijuana, a border city in northwestern Mexico where Iranians are moving a training camp. They were originally scheduled to be based in Tucson, Arizona, USA.
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The ambassador told a press conference that the “northern country” (meaning the United States) had not fulfilled its responsibility to host the Iranian team.
“I don’t know if they are going to give visas to the players,” he added.
Iran will play its three World Cup group stage matches in two cities on the west coast of the United States: Los Angeles and Seattle. The president of Iran’s Football Federation said players may be issued multiple entry visas.
“We are not coming into the World Cup on equal terms,” Pasandide said.
Because of the U.S.-Israel war against Israel that began on Feb. 28, “we haven’t been able to train the team as much as we would like,” he said.
On Wednesday, Iranian diplomats visited the stadium where the team is training, an official from Club Tijuana, which plays there, told AFP news agency. The diplomats also met with local security officials, sources said.
Iran is scheduled to play New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15th and Belgium on June 21st. They will then face Egypt in Seattle on June 26th.
