United States Grants Visas to Iran National Football Team for FIFA World Cup

The United States has issued visas to Iran’s national football team, allowing the squad to participate in the FIFA World Cup scheduled to begin later this month.

White House officials confirmed that visas have been granted to Iranian players traveling to the United States for the tournament. A White House official told Reuters that the team’s players have received the necessary travel documents to enter the country.

Earlier, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, had stated on Thursday night that the team had not yet received U.S. visas. However, according to the White House official, the visas were issued overnight.

Reports indicate that the Iranian Football Federation has not yet commented on the development. Meanwhile, an Iranian news agency reported that the United States has still not issued visas to some members of the team’s technical staff.

Iran is set to begin its Group G campaign against New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles. The team will also face Belgium in Los Angeles before taking on Egypt in Seattle.