Iran's football team granted visas to enter US for World Cup, officials say

Iran's shot squad has been granted visas to participate the US up of the the World Cup adjacent week, US officials person confirmed.

The support comes conscionable 10 days earlier the team's opening fixture against New Zealand, owed to beryllium held successful Los Angeles connected 15 June.

"The visas indispensable for Iran to vie successful the World Cup, including for athletes and indispensable enactment staff, person been issued," officials said.

They added that the US would not let the Iranian squad to "abuse this strategy to sneak terrorists into the United States nether mendacious pretenses".

The Iranian shot federation is yet to publically remark connected the visa approvals.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is acceptable to footwear disconnected connected 11 June, and volition beryllium hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

It volition beryllium the archetypal iteration of the contention to spot a big federation person the squad of a state it is astatine warfare with.

As precocious arsenic Friday, Fars quality bureau reported that immoderate members of the Iran team's method and administrative unit had not received a visa to participate the US.

Earlier this week, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, told lawmakers Iran's shot delegation would not beryllium allowed to see individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards - a almighty subdivision of the Iranian equipped forces.

Several players successful the Iranian squad person completed mandatory subject work with the group.

Additional reporting from Bernd Debusmann Jr.