Four members of Iran’s World Cup delegation have successfully appealed U.S. visa denials, but 11 officials will still be unable to travel to the United States for matches during the tournament, Iranian football officials said.
Iran last week criticised Washington for refusing visas to several members of its national team’s backroom staff despite U.S. authorities granting entry permission to players participating in the World Cup.
Of the 15 delegation members initially denied visas, 10 submitted new applications after arriving in Mexico, where Iran has established its World Cup base amid concerns related to the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States.
Four appeals were approved, including those of a technical analyst and two officials from the Iran Football Federation’s international department. However, six applicants were again denied entry. They include Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj, a vice-president of the federation, two team administrators, a media officer and a security officer. Another media officer chose not to reapply after the initial rejection.
Iran will open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. They will return to the city to face Belgium on June 21 before concluding their group-stage matches against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The United States earlier this week revoked Iran’s group-stage ticket allocation for supporters, though FIFA said it was working to maximise opportunities for Iranian fans to attend matches.
The Iran Football Federation had previously submitted a list of conditions to FIFA regarding its participation in the tournament, including entry for players, coaches and officials who had completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Iranian players would be welcome at the tournament, but individuals with links to the IRGC could face restrictions on entering the country.
Iran was also absent from FIFA’s annual congress in Vancouver in April after Canadian authorities denied entry to members of its delegation, citing IRGC-related concerns.
FIFA does not impose a limit on the size of national World Cup delegations, although it covers costs for up to 50 individuals per team.