JAKARTA – Iran defender Ehsan Hajsafi criticized FIFA after the team arrived in Mexico last weekend with some members of the entourage still not having a United States (US) visa, before the three 2026 World Cup group matches in the United States.
Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, has been complicated by the Iran vs. United States-Israel war.
Problems with previous visa processing led Iran to move their training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, which is on the border with California.
“First of all, we are very happy that the team finally arrived. We are happy about it. Alhamdulillah, the team’s condition is very good.”
“With all that happened, the visa was finally issued. However, personally, I have a complaint about FIFA. Why did it take so long?”
“As far as I understand, visas are only issued for players and some members of the coaching staff,” Hajsafi said.
Several members of the Iranian delegation still do not have US visas before the matches in Los Angeles and Seattle. Among them are the Secretary General, Hedayat Mombeini, and the Vice President of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), Mehdi Mohammad Nabi.
“Unfortunately, several key members of our coaching staff, whose roles are very important in the team, were not given visas. That includes the team manager, the executive director, and the media director, who all play a very important role.”
“From here, I want to ask FIFA to address this issue so that, God willing, this situation can be resolved in the coming days,” said Hajsafi.
It was not clear if Hajsafi was referring to head coach Amir Ghalenoei, but the 62-year-old was reportedly among those whose visas had been approved. He was seen with the team bus before the team’s trip to Mexico.
Iran has been training in the Turkish city of Antalya. The team flew directly to Tijuana, Mexico, which is located south of San Diego, in a private jet from the Mediterranean city’s airport.
Hajsafi was the first to get off the plane with the sign of the German charter airline USC, which arrived at around 5.05am local time on Sunday, June 7, 2026.
He led the team, wearing a blue blazer over a white shirt, through a brief security check with Mexican officers and sniffer dogs before boarding a bus.
The bus stopped briefly at the entrance to Tijuana Airport, where about 20 Iranian fans waved flags.
Iran will play their first two matches in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15, 2026, and Belgium six days later. They then head to Seattle to face Egypt on June 26, 2026.
Iran and the United States National Team could meet in the Round of 32 on July 3, 2026 in Arlington, Texas, if both teams finish second in their respective groups.
Meanwhile, a US official confirmed to ABC News that all players on the Iranian team had been approved for visas.
The Associated Press reported that a US official said visas had been issued for players, coaches, instructors, and some support staff. While other officials stated that some applicants affiliated with the team had been denied because they requested visas under false pretenses.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the visas publicly.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that the Iranian delegation would be closely monitored for anyone with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“We have no issues with the athletes, as we have stated previously, or their support staff.”
“However, what we will not allow is them to include a number of people in their delegation who we know have nothing to do with the athletes and have links to the IRGC or things like that.”
“So, we will monitor it very closely. We will continue to monitor it very closely,” Rubio said during a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee.
Iran completed its team roster, including 17 home-based players whose clubs have not played since February 2026 due to the war.
Tag:
iran
amerika serang iran
fifa
amerika serikat
piala dunia
piala dunia 2026
sepak bola
sepak bola internasional
