WANA (Jun 06) – Several members of Iran’s national football team delegation have reportedly not received U.S. visas ahead of the FIFA World Cup, according to media reports and follow-up inquiries.

 

Recent reports by Al Jazeera and The New York Times claimed that visas had been denied or remained unissued for 15 and 12 members of Iran’s delegation, respectively.

 

Subsequent inquiries indicate that those still awaiting visas include Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, the national team manager; Hedayat Mombeini, secretary-general of the Football Federation; Mehdi Malekabadi and Masoud Ardeshir from the federation’s security department; analysts Mehrpooya Asadi and Soroush Salmasi; Mahmoud Eslamian, an adviser to the federation president; several officials from the international affairs department; media director Mohsen Motamedkia; media team member Siamak Gholichkhani; support staff member Reza Javidan; executive director Mehdi Kharati; and a representative of Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

 

The New York Times also reported that Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation of Iran, had not been granted a U.S. visa. However, follow-up inquiries indicate that Taj never applied for a U.S. visa and was therefore not part of the visa review process.

 

The issue comes amid ongoing concerns raised by Iranian football officials regarding preparations for the World Cup. According to these officials, relocating the team’s training camp from the United States to Mexico, delays in visa issuance for some delegation members, and difficulties in arranging friendly matches have been among the challenges affecting Iran’s preparations for the tournament.