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Iran FIFA World Cup ambassador raises alarm over US visas, claims team 'not participating on equal terms'
Iran is scheduled to play three of its group-stage games in Los Angeles and Seattle.
The Iranian football team's ambassador, Abolfazl Pasandideh, has claimed that their players haven't yet been granted US visas. Pasandideh visited Tijuana in Mexico, where the Iranian players have relocated their training camp. They were originally slated to be based in Tucson, Arizona.
Iran is scheduled to play three of its group-stage games in Los Angeles and Seattle. Speaking in a news conference, he pointed out that the Iranian football team wasn't being treated equally for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
"We don't know whether or not they're going to give the players their visas," he said.
"We aren't participating in the World Cup on equal terms.
"We haven't been able to train our team like they should."
The Iranian team has also been put in the spotlight for not selecting star striker Sardar Azmoun for the World Cup. On Thursday, Iranian FA chief Mehdi Taj said he was unaware whether Azmoun would be called up, despite an appeal for his recall from a vice-president of the Islamic Republic.
Azmoun has scored 57 goals in 91 internationals. He was left out of the preliminary squad amid reports that he had been excluded for alleged disloyalty to the government. He defended his patriotism last week, prompting an appeal from Vice President Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh.
"The need of the homeland is to preserve the threads of connection between its children," Vice President Abdolkarim Hosseinzadeh wrote on X.
"Let us not overlook Sardar Azmoun's action in displaying this bond, and if possible, bring him back to the national team," he added.
Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals for Iran and previously played club football for Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma, has previously voiced support for anti-government protesters.
He has also faced criticism in Iranian state media, including accusations of treason after a photograph published in March showed him alongside the Emir of Dubai, where he currently plays and resides.
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei has said squad selection was "the most difficult technical decision" of his career, adding that players were chosen solely on technical criteria.
