With only 28 days remaining until the start of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, members of the Iranian national football team delegation have still not received U.S. entry visas. This issue has become one of the most significant uncertainties facing the Iranian national team on the eve of the tournament.
This situation comes while the visa issuance process for players, coaching staff, and officials of other teams participating in the World Cup began weeks ago. At the same time, some reports indicate that the U.S. government has also denied visas for several players of the Iraqi national team, with Iraqi media attributing the matter to certain political and security-related connections.
Meanwhile, some media outlets and observers have speculated that the visa applications of certain Iranian national team players may be reviewed with extra scrutiny and sensitivity. These speculations intensified after images surfaced showing some national team players attending nighttime gatherings in Tehran.
In the published images, several well-known Iranian football players, including Shoja Khalilzadeh, Alireza Beiranvand, Ramin Rezaeian, Roozbeh Cheshmi, Seyed Hossein Hosseini, Danial Esmaeilifar, Ehsan Hajsafi, Omid Noorafkan, Ali Alipour, and a few others, were seen. Reports have also emerged regarding the military service history of some of these players in teams affiliated with military institutions.
Some analysts believe that given the U.S. government’s security sensitivities, the visa review process for some Iranian national team members may face longer delays or additional restrictions. However, U.S. officials have not made any direct statements on the matter so far.
A significant portion of the players mentioned in reports are key members of the Iranian national team’s lineup. If visa issuance problems occur, the team’s technical structure and main lineup could face serious challenges ahead of the World Cup.
In recent weeks, Iranian sports officials have repeatedly mentioned the possibility of pursuing the issue through FIFA and international organizations, but so far there has been no indication of a complete resolution.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
