2026 World Cup: Visa Expiration, Last Minute Changes, Iranian Team Feels "Oppressed"

During the 2026 World Cup, the Iranian national football team expressed feelings of being "oppressed" due to sudden changes in travel arrangements and visa issues that impacted their participation in the tournament.

On June 16, 2026, Iranian news agency Irna reported that the visa of Iranian forward Mehdi Torabi expired after his entry into the United States, where the team played its first match against New Zealand the night before. According to Irna, while other players received visas allowing multiple entries and exits from the U.S. prior to the start of the World Cup, Torabi's visa was only valid for a single entry. After the team's trip to Los Angeles for the match against New Zealand and the conclusion of that match, Torabi's visa expired. The Iranian Federation indicated it had begun procedures to obtain a new visa so that he could accompany the national team for upcoming matches.

The issue arose as the Iranian delegation had already faced multiple difficulties concerning visas, with about fifteen members being denied entry into the United States. Iranian coach Amir Ghalenoei assessed that his team was "oppressed" due to last-minute changes in their travel schedule, which he attributed to the war initiated in late February by the U.S. and Israel against Iran.

Following the draw secured on Monday against New Zealand in their opening World Cup match in Los Angeles, Ghalenoei remarked that these disruptions affected the team's performance. He noted that the Iranian Football Federation had negotiated last-minute changes to locate their base camp in the Mexican border city of Tijuana instead of the initially planned Arizona.

Officials from Iran highlighted that last month, the football team's staff had to wait a long time to receive their U.S. visas, with some members not even receiving them. Ghalenoei said the team had to return directly to Mexico after their match against New Zealand, rather than spending the night in Los Angeles as originally scheduled. "We were supposed to stay here tonight to recover and leave tomorrow at noon, but we were not allowed to do so. Honestly, I have no idea why. I think our team may be the most oppressed of the entire World Cup," he stated, without specifying who imposed the restrictions.

Irna also reported that captain Mehdi Taremi and one staff member encountered difficulties at Los Angeles airport when departing. Iran hopes that Mehdi Torabi will be able to participate in the match against Belgium scheduled for Sunday in Los Angeles, before facing Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.