[Saba Sports News] With less than a week to go before the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, there has been a new development regarding the long-discussed issue of whether the Iranian national team could compete smoothly. On June 5, the US government confirmed that the Iranian squad has been granted entry approval to the United States, theoretically removing all obstacles to their participation.
Nevertheless, US authorities struck an unaccommodating tone, stating that only “players and essential accompanying staff” have been issued visas. They further added: “The United States will not allow the Iranian team to exploit the system and bring terrorists into the country under false pretenses.”
Sources from Iran revealed that not every member of the team has secured a US visa. All players received visas without issue, yet some technical and administrative staff were rejected. The Iranian team’s three group stage matches will all be held in the US. Those denied visas will not be able to travel with the squad and have to stay at the team’s training base in Mexico.
In my view, this incident shows that despite the World Cup advocating the principle of “sports being free from politics”, geopolitical tensions have exerted a tangible impact. In particular, the long-standing rift between the US and Iran, along with the US designation of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, has severely disrupted the team’s logistical arrangements for the tournament. The final outcome — granting entry to key personnel while restricting those with sensitive affiliations — represents a rare case of selective admission in international sports events in recent years.