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U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack stated on Friday that Iran’s national football team had received visas to enter the United States ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, though Tehran later complained that several senior football officials and support staff had been denied entry permits.
"Proud of our outstanding team at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for their work processing visas for Iran’s national football team on their road to the FIFA World Cup in the United States," Barrack wrote on X.
"Sports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world."
The confirmation follows earlier media reports citing a White House official who indicated that Iranian players had received entry permits roughly 10 days before their opening match in Los Angeles.
The visa issue had emerged as a key concern for Iran ahead of the tournament, as all three of its Group G matches are scheduled to take place in the United States.
Iranian officials repeatedly voiced concern that players and staff had not received entry documents as the tournament approached, with reports suggesting some faced additional vetting due to their mandatory military service under Iran's armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the United States and Canada designate as a terrorist organization.
The issue was also discussed during talks in Istanbul between FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom and Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj in May, where FIFA reviewed concerns over visas and other World Cup logistics. Taj later said all 10 issues raised by the federation had been addressed.
Iran's embassy in Türkiye pushed back against Barrack's remarks on Saturday, arguing that a "large" number of team officials and support staff had been denied visas despite players receiving approval to enter the U.S.
"Why do you not say that visas were denied to a large portion of the managerial and executive staff, technical advisers, and others who are an integral part of any national football team?" the embassy wrote on X.
The embassy accused Washington of escalating "deliberate and discriminatory treatment" against Iran's national football team.
Iranian media outlets reported that those denied visas included Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj, executive officials and team analysts. Taj was at the center of a similar controversy ahead of a FIFA Congress in Canada earlier this year, when authorities blocked or restricted his entry over concerns related to his links to the IRGC.
Iran has been training in the Turkish resort city of Antalya since May 19 as part of its World Cup preparations.
The squad is due to travel to Spain before heading to its tournament base in Tijuana, Mexico.
Team Melli had initially planned to stay in the United States during the competition but moved its base camp to Mexico as tensions between Tehran and Washington escalated following the conflict that erupted on Feb. 28.
The team opens its World Cup campaign against New Zealand on June 16 in Los Angeles before returning to the city to face Belgium. Iran's final Group G match will be played against Egypt in Seattle.
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