Backroom staff denied entry visas for US, claims post on X
Team have moved training base from Arizona to Mexico
Iran has slammed World Cup co-hosts the United States over what it called “discriminatory treatment” by not granting visas for some members of the national team’s delegation to attend the tournament.
“Why do you not say that visas were denied to a large portion of the managerial and executive staff, technical advisers, and others who are an integral part of any national football team?” the Iranian embassy in Turkey posted on X, referring to an earlier announcement by the US envoy Tom Barrack that visas had been granted to players. “You have now escalated the deliberate and discriminatory treatment against Iran’s national football team to its highest level.”
Iran’s semi-official news agency Tasnim reported that those who had not received visas included the executive director Mehdi Kharati, the secretary general of the football federation, Hedayat Mombini, and media director Mohsen Motamedkia. Staff members without visas would travel to Mexico with the team while efforts to obtain visas continue, the agency said.