According to the BBC, four Iranian representatives finally received their visas to enter the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup. However, 11 other staff members remain barred from entering the country.
Previously, the United States government banned 15 Iranian national team representatives from participating in the 2026 World Cup. The affected individuals ranged from high-ranking football officials to direct members of the team staff.
As a result of the entry restrictions, Iran had to move its tournament headquarters from the United States to Mexico. While based in Mexico, 10 representatives submitted applications for additional visas, and authorities subsequently granted four of them.
Of the four cleared representatives, one serves as a technical staff member working as an analyst, while two others belong to the international department of the Iranian football federation.
The other six applicants who faced rejection came from various positions within the organization. These individuals were key members of the Iranian national team setup for the 2026 World Cup.
The rejected group included Mehdi Taj, the President of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), alongside one of the federation's vice presidents. The rejections also affected two team administrators responsible for the operations of the Iranian national team, a media officer, and a security officer. Another media officer chose not to reapply for a visa after receiving an initial rejection.
This ongoing situation means Iran still cannot bring its full delegation of representatives into the United States, which serves as the host country for three of its Group G matches. Team Melli will travel to California and Seattle to face group opponents Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand from May 16 to 27.