Iran lashed out at the United States on Saturday for refusing visas to some of its World Cup squad support staff as the players were to leave Turkiye for Mexico.

The row erupted just days before the June 11 start of the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

The Iranian players, who have been at a training camp in the southern Turkish resort of Antalya since May 18, received their visas late on Friday, Washington's envoy to Turkiye Tom Barrack said on X, hailing the work of the US embassy in Ankara in "processing visas for Iran's national football team".

But Iran's embassy to Turkiye hit back on Saturday with a furious response, saying a "large" number of managerial and executive staff and others had been denied visas.

"You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran's national football team to its highest level," the embassy wrote on X.

"FIFA must hold the US accountable for violations of its rules and for the discriminatory treatment of Iran's national football team."

Iran's Football Federation, whose chief Mehdi Taj was reportedly among those denied a visa, also hit out, describing the decision as "political interference in sport in its worst form".

Iranian state TV's correspondent in Antalya said the players and their technical staff had received visas, but 15 others on the administrative and management side had not.

It said the matter would be followed up in Mexico.

Tensions over the war have complicated the US visa issue for Iran's Team Melli who shifted their World Cup base from Tucson in Arizona to the northwestern Mexican border city of Tijuana. (AFP)



Edited by Azam Khan