The United States will not ease travel restrictions on Iran’s national soccer team during the 2026 World Cup group-stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, even as Iran has threatened to file a complaint with FIFA, a top official from the co-host organizing committee confirmed.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House World Cup Task Force, said the U.S. will continue to review travel arrangements for the Iranian team but that the current plan remains in place.
Iran has expressed frustration with restrictions limiting it to travel to match venues within 24 hours and requiring a return to its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, immediately after each game. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei described his team as “the most oppressed team at the World Cup.”
The Iranian delegation left the U.S. just hours after the final whistle in its opening match against New Zealand last week, instead of staying overnight in California. That match ended at 8 p.m. local time, and the team had to return to Mexico within hours.
The visa issue of midfielder Mehdi Torabi also sparked controversy. His visa expired after the first match. The team confirmed it had obtained a new visa allowing multiple entries to the U.S., and the U.S. State Department confirmed “the issue has been resolved.”
A similar travel process will apply to Iran’s match against Belgium on Sunday. Iran is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles on Saturday evening, roughly 24 hours before kickoff.
Giuliani said the situation could change and that authorities will discuss measures for Iran’s third match, against Egypt in Seattle on Friday. “Right after the Belgium match, they will fly 27 minutes back to Tijuana. We’ll assess the situation and have discussions about the third match in Seattle.”
Giuliani defended the current measures, noting that moving the training camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana shortened travel time. He also confirmed that all players and coaches have received visas, but some team officials have not been issued visas due to adverse information.
Giuliani said U.S. intelligence agencies have stepped up monitoring since early this year but have not detected any specific threat. He expressed satisfaction with the first 10 days of the World Cup, noting that “everything is going according to plan.”
