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Iran team chief criticizes FIFA for visa coordination failures ahead of World Cup matches in the US
Around 15 Iranian backroom staff were denied entry to the US, forcing the team to relocate its training camp to Mexico and travel same-day for matches.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino promised Iran’s soccer federation full access to attend the team’s three World Cup matches in the United States. Iran’s World Cup team supervisor says he hasn’t delivered.
The fallout is already tangible. Approximately 15 backroom staff from the Iranian federation were denied entry to the US, stripping the squad of essential managerial and technical support during one of the biggest sporting events on the planet. The players themselves secured visas roughly ten days before their opening match, but the broader delegation wasn’t so lucky.
A training camp in Tijuana and same-day border crossings
The visa denials forced Iran to abandon its planned training camp in Arizona. The replacement location: Tijuana, Mexico, just across the border from Southern California.
It means the Iranian squad has to enter and exit the US exclusively on match days, with no ability to establish the kind of embedded presence that other teams enjoy during a World Cup cycle.
For context, Iran qualified for the 2026 World Cup back in March 2025. The tournament kicked off on June 11, 2026.
Infantino, for his part, has defended FIFA’s efforts. He claimed personal responsibility for facilitating Iran’s participation despite the complications, framing the outcome as a success story rather than a failure. The Iranian federation sees it differently.
The broader visa problem isn’t just about Iran
Iran isn’t the only country affected by visa restrictions surrounding the 2026 World Cup. Fans and journalists from various nations have reportedly faced hurdles entering the US for the tournament, reflecting the tension between hosting a global sporting event and maintaining strict immigration controls.
Prediction markets and the crypto angle
Prediction markets have been tracking the situation closely. Polymarket, the decentralized prediction platform that gained mainstream attention during the 2024 US presidential election, assigned a 94% probability to Iran playing at least one official match as of early June 2026.
Beyond prediction markets, the World Cup itself has become a proving ground for crypto sponsorships. Ongoing negotiations for World Cup-related sponsorships with crypto exchanges suggest the tournament remains a key arena for digital asset companies seeking mainstream visibility.