Iran’s World Cup squad has been granted visas to enter the United States, a White House official confirmed, just 10 days before the team’s opening match in Los Angeles.
The decision came after Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said on Thursday that the players had not yet received their visas. According to US officials, the visas were approved overnight.
Due to the uncertainty over travel documents, Iran changed its team base at the last minute from Arizona to Tijuana. The move also reflected a growing preference in Iran to limit the squad’s stay in the United States. The team is expected to arrive in Tijuana on Sunday.
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Iran will begin its Group G campaign against New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles. The team will then face Belgium in Los Angeles before taking on Egypt in Seattle.
The ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States has added a political dimension to the tournament, making this the first FIFA World Cup in which a host nation is set to welcome a country with which it is at war.
Pasandideh said the United States had never officially stated that it did not want the Iranian team on its territory. However, Marco Rubio recently said that individuals linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards would not be allowed to join the country’s World Cup delegation.
The restriction could affect several Iranian players who completed their mandatory military service with the Revolutionary Guards, a major branch of Iran’s armed forces.
