Iran, FIFA, Mehdi Taj, Marco Rubio
13 June 2026
Four members of Iran’s World Cup delegation have won appeals after being denied United States visas, but 11 officials and staff remain barred from travelling for matches. Successful appeals included a technical analyst and federation international department officials.
The decision keeps major operational and political pressure around Iran’s campaign, with their base already moved to Mexico and fan ticket allocations affected. FIFA faces renewed scrutiny over host-nation entry guarantees during a heavily politicised tournament.