‘We are upset’: Iran players hit out at US visa delay after World Cup arrival in Mexico

• Team are based in Tijuana with all group games in US

• Iran FA labels visa issues ‘political interference in sport’

Iran’s World Cup 2026 squad landed in Mexico on Sunday amid a bitter diplomatic row, after the United States refused to issue visas for some team support staff.

The Iran coach, Amir Ghalenoei, complained on arrival at Tijuana airport that “we should have been here last week because a 12-hour time difference needs two weeks of adjusting. Usually in these tournaments, before technical matters, ethical and human considerations must be respected – which I think for us it was not the case.”