Iran World Cup players get US visas, official says, some staff waiting

Iran's World Cup soccer players have ​received visas to enter ⁠the United States, a U.S. official said days before their first match, but Iranian media ‌said on Saturday that some administrative ‌staff had not gotten their visas.

The White House official told Reuters on Friday, 10 days before Iran plays in Los Angeles, that the players had received their visas, after Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said on Thursday that they had not received them.

A ‌spokesman for Iran's World Cup federation could not immediately be reached for comment.
First World Cup with hosts receiving war adversary

Iran's semi-official ⁠news agency Tasnim reported that those who had not received visas included Executive Director Mehdi Kharati, the secretary general of the soccer federation, Hedayat Mombini, and Media Director Mohsen Motamedkia.

Iranian Ambassador to Mexico Abolfazl Pasandideh speaks during an interview with Reuters, saying the Iranian soccer squad has still not received their US visas days before their first World Cup match in Los Angeles, raising the possibility the team may not be able to compete in the tournament amid ongoing tensions between the two countries, in Mexico City, Mexico, on Thursday. Reuters

Staff members without visas would travel to Mexico with the team while efforts to obtain visas continue, the agency said.

The US, Mexico and Canada are co-hosting the biggest global sporting event, which starts on Wednesday. The war on Iran, launched by the U.S. and Israel in February, has turned the World Cup into ​a geopolitical contest, with both sides appearing to use the tournament for political posturing.

This is the first World ‌Cup since its inception in 1930 in which a host nation is set to receive a country it is at war with.

Tehran negotiated a last-minute move of the team's base from Arizona to Tijuana,

Mexico, due to the visa issues and a growing ⁠feeling in Iran that the squad’s presence in the United States should be kept to a minimum.

They are scheduled to land in Tijuana early on Sunday.

Iran are due to play their first Group G match on June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, where ​they will also ‌face Belgium before taking on Egypt in Seattle.

Reuters