Iran World Cup squad heads to Mexico

Iran lashed out at america on Saturday for refusing visas to a few of its World Cup squad help employees because the gamers had been to depart Turkey for Mexico.

The row erupted simply days earlier than the June 11 begin of the 2026 World Cup, which is being collectively hosted by america, Mexico and Canada.

The Iranian gamers, who’ve been at a coaching camp within the southern Turkish resort of Antalya since Could 18, acquired their visas late on Friday, Washington’s envoy to Turkey Tom Barrack mentioned on X, hailing the work of the US embassy in Ankara in “processing visas for Iran’s nationwide soccer crew”.

However Iran’s embassy to Turkey hit again Saturday with a livid response, saying a “giant” variety of managerial and govt employees and others had been denied visas.

“You might have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory remedy in opposition to Iran’s nationwide soccer crew to its highest degree,” the embassy wrote on X.

“FIFA should maintain the US accountable for violations of its guidelines and for the discriminatory remedy of Iran’s nationwide soccer crew.”

‘Political interference in sport’

Iran’s Soccer Federation, whose chief Mehdi Taj was reportedly amongst these denied a visa, additionally hit out, describing the choice as “political interference in sport in its worst kind”.

“By extending its hostile behaviour in direction of the Iranian nation into the sphere of sport, the … US authorities has disadvantaged Iran’s nationwide crew of.. the chance to compete with out discrimination,” it mentioned, pledging to pursue the matter with FIFA.

Iranian state TV’s correspondent in Antalya mentioned the gamers and their technical employees had acquired visas, however 15 others on the executive and administration aspect had not.

It mentioned the matter can be adopted up in Mexico.

Tensions over the battle have difficult the US visa problem for Iran’s Group Melli who shifted their World Cup base from Tucson in Arizona to the northwestern Mexican border metropolis of Tijuana.

The battle started after the US and Israel started bombing Iran on February 28. An April 8 ceasefire, which halted the preventing, is now quickly unravelling with a current flurry of strikes by the US and Iran.

In April, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned any drawback wouldn’t be with the Iranian gamers however “among the different folks (they) would wish to carry with them”, suggesting they could have ties to the Revolutionary Guards, a gaggle on the US terror blacklist.

Taj himself is a former Guards member, Iranian media within the diaspora have mentioned.

Group heads to Mexico

Group Melli had been scheduled to depart Antalya for Mexico on a 3:20 pm (1220 GMT) flight that Taj mentioned earlier this week would come with a stopover in Spain earlier than arriving in Mexico early on Sunday.

However Iran’s state TV gave a later departure time of 5:30 pm.

The crew will likely be based mostly within the northwestern border metropolis of Tijuana all through the match, however all three of their group stage matches are as a result of be held in america.

Iran, who’re in Group G, will play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, adopted by a sport in opposition to Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Forward of their departure on Saturday, Iran performed a closing pleasant in opposition to Mali in Antalya on Thursday which they received 2-0. They performed a primary match on Could 29, beating Gambia 3-1.