{"id":2609,"date":"2026-06-06T15:33:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T15:33:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=2609"},"modified":"2026-06-06T15:33:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T15:33:28","slug":"irans-soccer-team-leaves-for-world-cup-as-some-officials-still-await-us-visas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=2609","title":{"rendered":"Iran\u2019s soccer team leaves for World Cup as some officials still await US visas"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) \u2014 Iran\u2019s World Cup soccer team set off from Turkey for their training base in Mexico on Saturday, with some members of their entourage reportedly still without U.S. visas, before three group matches in the United States later this month.<\/p>\n

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The Iranian Football Federation\u2019s secretary-general, Hedayat Mombeini, and its vice president, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, were among 14 backroom staff and officials without U.S. visas before games in Los Angeles and Seattle, according to Iranian state television.<\/p>\n

It was unclear whether the federation\u2019s president, Mehdi Taj, had been issued a visa.<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s participation in the World Cup has been complicated by the Iran war. Problems with processing visas had earlier led Iran to move its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, which is on the border with California.<\/p>\n

The federation accused the U.S. of \u201cvindictive behavior\u201d in refusing visas for \u201ckey managerial and administrative members\u201d of the team.<\/p>\n

The decision had \u201ceffectively denied the Iranian national team the opportunity for a level playing field and a competition free from discrimination,\u201d according to a statement on the federation\u2019s website. It added that the federation would pursue the matter through world soccer authority FIFA.<\/p>\n

The Iranian Embassy in Ankara, meanwhile, responded to an earlier social media post from U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack, in which he congratulated his embassy staff for processing the Iran team\u2019s visas.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou cannot whitewash conduct that violates FIFA regulations and breaches the United States\u2019 host obligations merely by praising yourselves,\u201d the Iranian post read. \u201cThis represents the worst possible form of politically biased interference in sport.\u201d<\/p>\n

One U.S. official earlier told The Associated Press that all players on the Iranian team were approved for visas, while a second official said visas had been issued for players, coaches, trainers and some support staff. A third official suggested that some applicants affiliated with the team had been rejected for requesting visas \u201cunder false pretenses.\u201d <\/p>\n

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The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren\u2019t authorized to discuss the visas publicly. <\/p>\n

The squad has been preparing for the World Cup at a training camp in Antalya. The team said that it has already received visas from the Mexican Embassy in Ankara.<\/p>\n

The players, dressed in blue blazers over white T-shirts, left the luxury Mardan Palace hotel in Antalya on Saturday afternoon. They boarded a private jet at the Mediterranean city\u2019s airport and were due to fly directly to Mexico.<\/p>\n

Iran plays its first two games in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15, and Belgium six days later, then heads to Seattle to face Egypt on June 26. Iran and the U.S. could meet in the round of 32 on July 3 in Arlington, Texas, if both teams come second in their groups.<\/p>\n

In March, U.S. President Donald Trump had discouraged Iran from participating in the tournament, saying he didn\u2019t think it was \u201cappropriate\u201d and raising concerns over players\u2019 \u201clife and safety.\u201d A day later, Iran\u2019s national team pushed back, saying \u201cno one can exclude\u201d it from playing.<\/p>\n

Iran finalized its team on Monday, including 17 home-based players whose clubs haven\u2019t played since February because of the war. Star forward Sardar Azmoun was dropped in March, reportedly because of a social media post that angered Iranian authorities during the war.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s sports minister said in March that it would \u201cnot be possible\u201d for the team to participate in the World Cup, but the republic\u2019s soccer federation said in May that it was moving ahead with a team. The federation had insisted that all players and staff be granted visas, including those who had military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.<\/p>\n

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___ Seung Min Kim and Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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