WASHINGTON D.C., United States — The United States government has officially granted entry visas to the Iranian national football team and its essential backroom staff, clearing a major diplomatic hurdle just days before the kickoff of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The high-stakes approval was confirmed by U.S. State Department officials on Friday, June 5, 2026, arriving exactly ten days before Team Melli’s highly anticipated Group Stage opening fixture against New Zealand, scheduled to take place in Los Angeles on June 15.
Okay News reports that the decision marks a historic and highly unusual moment in sports diplomacy, as the 2026 tournament represents the first time a World Cup host nation will receive an athletic delegation from a country with which it is actively engaged in a state of warfare. The administrative process was plagued by weeks of severe delays, forcing the Iranian Football Federation to abruptly relocate its pre-tournament training camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Mexico in late May due to mounting entry uncertainties.
While confirming the issuance of the entry credentials, U.S. officials maintained a stringent national security stance, explicitly warning that Washington would not tolerate any attempt to “abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses.” The visa screening underwent rigorous congressional scrutiny earlier in the week when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed to lawmakers that any individuals with verified operational ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—which Washington designates as a foreign terrorist organization—would be strictly barred from entering U.S. soil. The mandate created significant technical friction, as several players in the Iranian squad had previously completed their mandatory national military service under the IRGC command structure.
Despite reports from Tehran’s Fars News Agency as recently as Friday morning indicating that certain key technical and logistical staff members remained stranded without clearance, U.S. authorities assured that the vital contingents have now been successfully processed. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is scheduled to commence on Thursday, June 11, featuring an expanded 48-team format. The Iranian Football Federation has not yet released an official public response regarding the final resolution of the visa standoff.
