{"id":1609,"date":"2026-06-07T00:16:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T21:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/iran-claims-us-blocked-visas-for-key-football-officials-ahead-of-2026-world-cup\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T00:16:12","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T21:16:12","slug":"iran-claims-us-blocked-visas-for-key-football-officials-ahead-of-2026-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/iran-claims-us-blocked-visas-for-key-football-officials-ahead-of-2026-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran Claims US Blocked Visas for Key Football Officials Ahead of 2026 World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

Iran\u2019s government has accused the United States of discriminatory conduct after it claimed that several important figures connected to Iran\u2019s national football team were refused visas ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, Tom Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, posted on X praising the work of American embassy staff in Ankara for helping process entry permits for Iran\u2019s squad as they prepare for the tournament in the United States. Barrack said he was \u201cproud\u201d of the team\u2019s efforts in handling visa applications \u201con their road\u201d to the World Cup, adding that sport \u201ctranscends borders\u201d and that the U.S. looks forward to welcoming athletes and supporters from across the globe.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s response<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Iran\u2019s embassy in Turkey rejected Barrack\u2019s comments, disputing the idea that the visa process had been handled fairly despite continuing strain between Tehran and Washington.<\/li>\n
  2. The embassy said the U.S. breached FIFA rules by allegedly refusing visas to a large share of Iran\u2019s managerial and executive personnel, as well as technical advisers and others it described as essential to any national team.<\/li>\n
  3. In its statement, the embassy argued that the U.S. cannot \u201cwhitewash\u201d actions that violate FIFA regulations and ignore the United States\u2019 responsibilities as the host country simply by praising its own efforts.<\/li>\n
  4. It accused Washington of escalating deliberate, discriminatory treatment of Iran\u2019s national football team to the highest level.<\/li>\n
  5. The embassy claimed that by carrying political hostility into the sporting arena, the U.S. is effectively denying Iran\u2019s team the opportunity to participate in the World Cup \u201cunder normal conditions,\u201d without added pressure or stress.<\/li>\n
  6. It described the alleged actions as the most extreme form of politically driven interference in sport and urged FIFA to hold the U.S. accountable for any rule breaches and discriminatory treatment.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Iran\u2019s embassy concluded by calling on FIFA to take responsibility for enforcing its regulations and addressing what it said was discriminatory conduct toward Iran\u2019s national team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Iran\u2019s government has accused the United States of discriminatory conduct after it claimed that several important figures connected to Iran\u2019s national football team were refused visas ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On Saturday, Tom Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, posted on X praising the work of American embassy staff in Ankara for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Iran vs US Visa Dispute Hits Iran Football Officials","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Iran alleges the US blocked visas for key Iran football officials ahead of the 2026 World Cup, sparking fresh Iran\u2013US tensions in ","mma_seo_breadcrumb_text":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_url":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_hide_ui":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_labels":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\nIran vs US Visa Dispute Hits Iran Football Officials<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Iran alleges the US blocked visas for key Iran football officials 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