Everyone Received a US Visa Except Iran. Why?

In recent weeks, directors of the Football Federation, officials from the Ministry of Sport and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic, and even political figures, have attempted to frame the "non-issuance of visas" for the Islamic Republic's football team delegation as a sign of a sports tournament being entangled with political and social issues.

Not that the footprint of politics is entirely absent from this matter, but it must be remembered that US stringency regarding visa issuance for citizens of certain countries is nothing new.

In this very World Cup, four teams that qualified for the tournament find their governments embroiled in political and economic disputes with the United States of America.

From Haiti and Senegal to the Ivory Coast and even Iraq, these are countries whose national teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup and whose citizens have faced immigration restrictions, security screenings, or political sensitivities in recent years. But did the national teams of these countries face serious obstacles to travel to the World Cup like the Islamic Republic's team?

The crucial difference lies here: despite restrictions and strict measures, many of these same countries have managed to dispatch their delegations to the 2026 World Cup; their players have entered the US or Mexico, taken delivery of their camps, and commenced training. In this report, we ask what differentiates this team and this government from those in Haiti, Iraq, the Ivory Coast, and Senegal.

Countries That Entered Despite Restrictions

The situation of Haiti must be placed at the top of the list of examples similar to the Islamic Republic; its citizens are included in strict entry restriction lists for the US, yet international media reports have shown that the core part of Haiti's national team has entered the US, camped in Florida, and initiated its practice sessions inside the country.

Out of the entire 40-member delegation that Haiti presented to the US State Department for deployment to the World Cup, only one player has failed to obtain a visa to date.

Senegal, despite its citizens facing restrictions and stringency in certain visa categories, has also entered the US, held its training camp, and even played a warm-up match.

The notable detail about Senegal's friendly match is that they played against the US national team, even though they lost 3-2. Regarding the Senegalese delegation, no report of a serious visa crisis has been published so far.

Ivory Coast is another country whose citizens face restrictions in certain visa categories, but to date, no credible report has been published regarding the stalling of its national team delegation or an extensive visa crisis for its players. The US Embassy in Abidjan, the capital of the Ivory Coast, even launched a special guidance page for World Cup visa applicants.

The example of South Africa is also noteworthy. According to a Reuters report, one member of the team's coaching staff was unable to travel to Mexico with the delegation due to a visa issue, but the players and the main national team delegation made the trip and began their preparatory camp.

Even Iraq, a country whose government's relations with the US are currently not particularly amicable and which has consistently had volatile relations with the United States over the past two decades, now finds itself in a different position compared to the Islamic Republic's team. In May, the White House dismissed reports regarding visa issues for the Iraqi national team, stating that the country's players had received entry visas for the United States.

Let us recall that in the Donald Trump administration's initial immigration executive order in 2017, Iraq was placed alongside Iran as one of the nations whose citizens faced severe bans on entering the United States.

From "Bullying" to "Begging"

Alongside these teams, countries such as Argentina, England, Australia, Ecuador, Qatar, and Uzbekistan have also entered the United States, Canada, or Mexico since the final days of May and have commenced their official training sessions.

However, the Islamic Republic's football team is still facing difficulties with the core premise of entry into the United States and even Mexico.

An informed IranWire source had previously stated on Thursday, May 28, that the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic requested FIFA to follow up on the visa status of the players and national team delegation members as quickly as possible. Federation directors had hoped that by Friday, the status of the US visas at least would be clarified, but this expectation also yielded no results.

IranWire sources state that the tone of the Football Federation's directors in recent days, during conversations with FIFA officials and even contacts with the US Embassy in Turkey, has changed tangibly. Directors who, until recently, spoke from a position of threats and entitlement regarding visa issuance are now using language described by one IranWire source as "supplicating," imploring FIFA officials to intervene to resolve the issue of the players' entry into the United States and Mexico.

This very shift in tone clearly demonstrates that the Iranian national team's visa crisis has transcended a normal administrative process and has turned into a political and diplomatic issue.

Previously, Football Federation President Mehdi Taj had claimed in his media interviews that he had secured an "enforceable guarantee" from FIFA to obtain visas for the entire Iranian football team delegation and had threatened that if a visa for any player, coach, or companion was not issued, they would boycott the tournament.

But can the international governing body of football offer a guarantee to a football federation for visa issuance on behalf of the host nation's foreign ministry?

What Commitments Has FIFA Secured From the Hosts?

When awarding the hosting rights for the World Cup, FIFA secures commitments from the host nations to "facilitate" the entry process for players, coaches, journalists, referees, official dignitaries, and fans; this does not mean issuing visas.

For the 2026 World Cup as well, the United States, Canada, and Mexico have committed to providing the necessary conditions for the entry of individuals associated with the tournament. The US has even launched a specialized system called "FIFA Pass" so that World Cup ticket holders can receive their visa interview appointments more quickly.

However, these commitments do not mean an absolute guarantee of visa issuance.

American officials have repeatedly emphasized in recent years that all applicants seeking to attend the World Cup will remain subject to security and immigration screenings. For this reason, contrary to common perception, FIFA cannot compel host governments to issue visas, and the role of this institution is mostly limited to mediation and efforts to facilitate the entry process for teams.

This very reality has caused the directors of the Islamic Republic's Football Federation to be more dependent than ever on backroom consultations and FIFA's assistance. The only difference is that they present their consultations in a completely different manner within domestic media.

A Different Team With Different Crises

For many of the teams present at the World Cup, the primary concern relates to technical issues, player injuries, or weather conditions. But regarding the Islamic Republic, the crisis has begun from behind embassy doors and through fruitless calls with FIFA.

While many teams have taken delivery of their camps and started their training, the Iranian national team is still entangled in resolving one of the most rudimentary problems of participating in the World Cup: the entry of its players and delegation members into the host countries.

Perhaps this is the most significant difference between the Islamic Republic and many of the teams present at the 2026 World Cup.