Iran accuses the U.S. of disrupting its national team's preparations for the 2026 World Cup
The Iranian government has accused U.S. officials of deliberately refusing to issue entry visas to key members of its national soccer team. The Iranian side made its complaints public on the eve of the World Cup, which is set to begin next week in stadiums across North America.
This incident has sparked yet another diplomatic standoff between the two countries. The countries are currently at war after the U.S. and Israel launched a joint military operation against the Islamic Republic in late February, and the parties to the conflict have yet to reach any agreement on signing a peace treaty.
The conflict surrounding the sports delegation erupted a few days before the Iranians’ first official match against the New Zealand national team, scheduled for June 15 in Los Angeles. The Iranian Embassy in Turkey publicly called Washington’s actions the worst form of politically biased interference in sports and accused the U.S. government of spreading hostility into the realm of soccer, which deprives the team of the opportunity to play in the World Cup under normal conditions and without psychological pressure.
The sharp statement by Iranian diplomats was prompted by a comment from U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who expressed pride in his team’s work on processing visas for Iranian soccer players. In response, the Iranian embassy accused the diplomat of hypocrisy and violating FIFA rules, noting that the U.S. side is concealing the fact that visas were denied en masse to a significant portion of the national team’s management, executive staff, and technical advisors.
For its part, the U.S. State Department rejects the accusations, officially stating that all necessary visas for the direct participation of Iranian athletes and critical support staff in the World Cup were successfully issued. Politico reporters note that Iran’s very presence at the tournament has sparked debate, as in March, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social that while the country is a welcome guest at the festivities, he considers the presence of Iranians at the 2026 World Cup inappropriate for their own safety and security.
This is reported by Politico.
Earlier, Iran launched a missile strike on the Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait, where U.S. military personnel and contractors were stationed. The attack resulted in minor injuries among personnel and damage to U.S. drones. The incident occurred amid U.S. efforts to negotiate an extension of the ceasefire with Tehran.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and continues to interact with those around him, although he does so cautiously and primarily through written messages and intermediaries. Officials in Washington note that his activity has been increasing recently.
