Iran submits complaint to FIFA regarding US travel restrictions on its player

The Iranian Football Federation announced on Friday its intention to submit a formal complaint to FIFA, protesting the restrictions imposed on the movement of Iran’s national team within the United States during its participation in the 2026 World Cup.

The Iran will play its matches in the tournament while based in Mexico, one of the host nations, under restrictions related to entry procedures into the United States, where its group stage matches will take place.

In a statement quoted by Reuters, the Iranian Federation stated that U.S. authorities allow the delegation to enter only one day before the match, provided they leave U.S. territory on the day the match concludes, arguing that these procedures do not provide equal conditions for participating teams.

Iran isn’t treated fairly, the other teams don’t face all these obstacles

The statement added that the imposed restrictions “may affect the technical preparation of the team,” noting that the coaching staff had planned to arrive in the host cities two days before the matches to ensure the best physical and technical readiness.

For his part, Iranian national team coach Amir Ghalenoei said his team is “the most unfairly treated” in the tournament, adding that these circumstances affected the team’s preparations before its opening match, which ended in a 2-2 draw against New Zealand.

In contrast, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security clarified that the measures taken are part of security arrangements agreed upon with the Iranian side.

A spokesperson for the Department, according to Reuters, said the Iranian team is permitted to enter the United States one day before the match and is required to leave on the evening of the match day, emphasizing that the goal of these measures is to ensure security and safety in the stadiums, team camps, and training facilities.

The Iranian team is scheduled to face its Belgian counterpart in Los Angeles on June 21, before concluding its group stage journey against Egypt in Seattle on the 27th of the same month.