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Iran Files Complaint Over World Cup Travel Restrictions
Iran’s World Cup campaign is unfolding on the pitch – and in the corridors of power.
The country’s football federation has confirmed it will lodge an official complaint with Fifa over strict US travel conditions that it argues place the national team at a clear disadvantage during the 2026 tournament.
Under the terms of their visas, Iran’s players and staff are only permitted to enter the United States – one of the tournament’s three co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico – the day before a match and must leave again on the same day the game is played. No extra day to acclimatise. No time to recover.
The impact has already been felt. Iran opened their World Cup with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in Los Angeles, after which head coach Amir Ghalenoei described his side as the “most oppressed” team at the tournament.
In a strongly worded statement, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) said the restrictions are “inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect teams’ preparation processes”.
The federation added it “will formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with Fifa through the appropriate channels”.
Base camp moved, plans disrupted
Iran’s World Cup involvement has been shadowed by geopolitical tension from the start, tied to the war in the Middle East and the security concerns surrounding it.
The team had originally planned to base themselves in Arizona. Those plans were ripped up. They relocated their camp to Tijuana in Mexico, a decision that immediately complicated logistics for their US-based fixtures.
From there, every trip into the US now becomes a tightly controlled in-and-out operation.
Iran said it had requested permission to arrive in each host city two days before every match and return to base the day after, arguing that such a schedule was essential “to achieve optimal technical and physical preparation”. That request was rejected for their opener against New Zealand.
“The same situation has now been repeated ahead of Iran’s second match against Belgium,” the FFIRI said.
That game, against one of Europe’s heavyweights, is set for Los Angeles on 21 June at 20:00 BST, with a third group fixture to follow against Egypt in Seattle on 27 June at 04:00 BST. Both matches are on US soil. Both fall under the same tight entry and exit rules.
Given that the Belgium match kicks off at 12:00 local time in Los Angeles, Iran say they asked again to arrive two days before the game to allow players to adapt to conditions, complete a final training session in the city, and fine-tune preparations.
“Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied,” the statement continued.
Politics at the door of the dressing room
The tension around Iran’s presence at this World Cup is not abstract. It has already reached the dressing room door.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino visited the Iran squad after their draw with New Zealand, a symbolic gesture in the midst of a fraught political backdrop and rising frustration within the camp.
Multiple “integral” members of Iran’s backroom staff have been denied US entry visas altogether, limiting the resources available to Ghalenoei and his players on matchdays. On top of that, the FFIRI says its ticket allocation was revoked on the eve of the tournament, prompting it to call on Fifa to “uphold the principles of neutrality, fairness, and established regulations”.
From Iran’s perspective, the accumulation of issues looks less like a series of inconveniences and more like a stacked deck.
US response: ‘They agreed to the terms’
Officials in Washington insist the rules were clear from the outset.
“The Iranian national football team agreed to these terms,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the BBC when asked about Ghalenoei’s comments.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Fifa Task Force, laid out the framework in an interview with CBS News.
“The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match,” he said. “They’ll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match. And they’ll be able to do that again in Los Angeles.”
That stance sits alongside a broader diplomatic effort. The presidents of the US and Iran have signed an initial peace deal aimed at ending the war in the Middle East, yet on the ground at this World Cup, the relationship remains tightly policed and deeply conditional.
A World Cup played on a tightrope
Iran now face the task of preparing for Belgium and Egypt while effectively operating as visitors on a stopwatch every time they cross the border.
Minimal time to adjust to time zones and weather. Limited windows for tactical sessions in the host cities. Constant travel back and forth to a base camp in another country.
On paper, the World Cup is supposed to offer a level playing field. Iran’s federation is now asking Fifa a blunt question: how level can it be when one team is only allowed to step onto that field at the last possible moment, and ordered out the door before the grass has settled under their boots?
