{"id":1472,"date":"2026-06-14T08:35:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T08:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=1472"},"modified":"2026-06-14T08:35:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T08:35:20","slug":"iran-at-the-world-cup-war-visa-issues-ticket-problems-and-a-pride-match","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=1472","title":{"rendered":"Iran at the World Cup: War, Visa Issues, Ticket Problems and a Pride Match"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2018s national soccer team landed across the Mexican border from California early Sunday, ending months of doubt over whether it would reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup at all. The players stepped off the plane wearing gold lapel pins reading \u201c168,\u201d a reference to the people killed, most of them children, in a February 28 missile strike on a girls\u2019 school in southern Iran on the first day of the war with the United States and Israel.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=1470\">US, Iran inch closer to deal, Trump says Sunday but timing remains unclear<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Days before the tournament\u2019s June 11 opening, Iran is the only team arriving from a country effectively at war with one of the three hosts-the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Its participation has triggered a cascade of off-field disputes over visas, tickets and a group-stage match that has become a flashpoint in the culture wars, turning the sport\u2019s biggest event into a stage for the conflict between Tehran and Washington.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Iran opens against New Zealand in Inglewood, near Los Angeles, on June 15, then faces Belgium in the same city on June 21 and closes the group stage against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The team is based in Tijuana, Mexico, between matches and will cross into the United States to play.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<h2>How the Iran-US War Shadows the 2026 World Cup<\/h2>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The dispute over Iran\u2019s place in the tournament cannot be separated from the war that has shadowed it since February.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>On February 28, the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and senior military and government figures, according to U.S. and Israeli statements. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes on Israel, U.S. military bases and U.S.-allied states in the region and moved to close the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>A two-week ceasefire mediated by Pakistan took effect April 8. Subsequent talks in Islamabad failed, and the truce has been repeatedly strained. On June 7 and 8, Israel and Iran traded their heaviest strikes in months, with explosions reported in Tehran, Tabriz, Karaj and Isfahan after Iran fired missiles toward northern Israel, the first direct Iranian missile attack on Israel since the ceasefire was announced.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIsrael and Iran must immediately stop \u2018shooting,&#8217;\u201d President Donald Trump wrote on Monday on his Truth Social platform.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had halted attacks, stopping short of acknowledging a formal ceasefire. Iran said it had suspended operations but warned that it would resume them if Israeli strikes continued in southern Lebanon.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<h2>Why Iran\u2019s Players Wear \u2018168\u2019 Pins<\/h2>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The strike at the center of the team\u2019s tribute pins hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls\u2019 school in Minab, near an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps compound. Iranian officials say that at least 168 people were killed, most of them children. U.S. military investigators believe American forces were likely responsible, with reporting indicating that a Tomahawk cruise missile struck the school in a targeting error.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Neither the United States nor Israel has accepted responsibility, and the U.S. military has said it would never target civilians. The U.N. human rights chief has urged Washington to conclude and publish its investigation.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The players first memorialized the victims at a March warmup in Antalya, Turkey, holding pink and purple school backpacks during the national anthem. Iran\u2019s embassy in Hungary noted the pins in a social media post on Monday.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Trump discouraged the team from coming in March, saying he did not think it was \u201cappropriate\u201d and citing concerns over the players\u2019 \u201clife and safety.\u201d Iran\u2019s federation pushed back a day later, saying \u201cno one can exclude\u201d it from playing.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>FIFA has insisted throughout that the tournament would proceed as scheduled. <\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course Iran will be participating in the FIFA World Cup,\u201d FIFA President Gianni Infantino said earlier this year. \u201cAnd the reason for that is very simple, dear friends, is because we have to unite.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<h2>U.S. Visa Denials Hit Iran\u2019s World Cup Delegation<\/h2>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The fight over who could actually enter the United States has run alongside the war for months.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Iran boycotted the World Cup draw in Washington on December 5 after the United States granted only four visas to its delegation and denied one for federation President Mehdi Taj. Federation spokesman Amir-Mahdi Alavi said officials faced \u201cvisa obstacles that go beyond sports considerations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The team\u2019s players received U.S. visas on Friday, about 10 days before their opening match, after applying at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara during a training camp in Turkey. U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack confirmed the approvals on X, praising embassy staff \u201cfor their work processing visas for Iran\u2019s national football team on their road to the FIFA World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=1468\">Beach hazards statement for Myrtle Beach area until Sunday evening<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Several support staff were not cleared. Iran\u2019s federation said the United States refused visas for \u201ckey managerial and administrative members,\u201d with Iranian state television reporting that 14 backroom staff and officials were left without visas, among them federation Secretary-General Hedayat Mombeini and Vice President Mehdi Mohammad Nabi. Taj was also reported to be among those denied.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cPolitical interference in sport in its worst form,\u201d the federation said of the decision, accusing Washington of \u201cvindictive behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Trump\u2019s administration announced a travel ban in 2025 covering citizens of 12 countries, including Iran, with promised exemptions for athletes, coaches and necessary support staff traveling for major events such as the World Cup.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The uncertainty over entry prompted Iran to move its base from Tucson, Arizona, where it had originally planned to train, to Tijuana. Accounts of what the players\u2019 visas permit have differed. Iranian envoy Abolfazl Pasandideh told reporters that the team could \u201center in the morning and we must leave the same day.\u201d Team spokesman Amir Mahdi Alavi said on state television that the visas were multiple-entry and that the team would arrive a day before its first match and two days before later games.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>FIFA rules require a team\u2019s coach to hold a news conference at the venue on the eve of each match.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<h2>Iran\u2019s World Cup Ticket Allocation Revoked<\/h2>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The newest dispute landed Tuesday, two days before the tournament opens.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s federation said the United States had revoked its allocation of tickets for all three group matches. Under FIFA rules, each participating federation receives 8 percent of tickets per match to distribute to its supporters through official channels.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith less than three days remaining until the start of the 2026 World Cup, the United States has once again acted to obstruct the presence of Iranian supporters at the stadiums hosting the national team\u2019s three group stage matches,\u201d the federation said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The federation said it had already begun selling tickets for the matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt after receiving its quota, and that some fans had made travel arrangements. It said it was now \u201cunable to provide even a single ticket to supporters of the national team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The move was \u201ccontrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries,\u201d the federation said. It called on FIFA and tournament organizers \u201cto uphold the principles of neutrality, fairness and established regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Neither FIFA nor U.S. organizers commented publicly on the accusation.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<h2>Seattle \u2018Pride Match\u2019 Between Iran and Egypt<\/h2>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s final group match, against Egypt in Seattle on June 26, falls on the city\u2019s Pride weekend. Seattle\u2019s organizing committee designated it a \u201cPride Match,\u201d with community programming and original work by local LGBTQ artists, before the teams were known.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Iran and Egypt objected after the pairing was set. Among the demands Iran\u2019s federation made to FIFA was a guarantee that only national flags be displayed inside stadiums, a request that would conflict with FIFA\u2019s human rights framework for the 2026 tournament. Taj called the designation \u201can irrational move.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Seattle\u2019s organizers said they would not change course.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMoving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament,\u201d committee spokesperson Hana Tadesse said in a statement, noting that the region is home to one of the country\u2019s largest Iranian American communities and a sizable Egyptian diaspora.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s relationship with its own diaspora is fraught. Some Iranian Americans plan to attend the matches in protest, viewing the men\u2019s team as a symbol of the government, while others say they will set politics aside to watch Team Melli compete. The squad includes 17 home-based players whose clubs had not played since February because of the war. Striker Sardar Azmoun, the team\u2019s most prolific active scorer, was dropped after posting a photo of a meeting with Dubai\u2019s ruler.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Iran and the United States could meet in the round of 32 on July 3 in Arlington, Texas, if both teams finish second in their groups.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=1466\">Heat advisory issued for Pee Dee until Sunday evening<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p><i>2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iran is the only team arriving from a country effectively at war with one of the three hosts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Iran at the World Cup: War, Visa Issues, Ticket Problems and a Pride Match - US Moving Experts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=1472\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Iran at the World Cup: War, Visa Issues, Ticket Problems and a Pride Match - US Moving Experts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Iran is the only team arriving from a country effectively at war with one of the three hosts.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=1472\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"US Moving Experts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-14T08:35:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usmovingexpertss.com\\\/?p=1472#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usmovingexpertss.com\\\/?p=1472\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usmovingexpertss.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d4595f9a47af262eb0de41137cae39b6\"},\"headline\":\"Iran at the World Cup: War, Visa Issues, Ticket Problems and a Pride Match\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-14T08:35:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usmovingexpertss.com\\\/?p=1472\"},\"wordCount\":1492,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usmovingexpertss.com\\\/?p=1472#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usmovingexpertss.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/4b3b5f66f03aec73170a20fe60e1bf53.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"National\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/usmovingexpertss.com\\\/?p=1472#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usmovingexpertss.com\\\/?p=1472\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usmovingexpertss.com\\\/?p=1472\",\"name\":\"Iran at the World Cup: War, Visa Issues, Ticket Problems and a Pride Match - 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JUNE 07: Iranian national soccer team captain Ehsan Hajisafi speaks to the press after arrival at Tijuana International Airport on June 7, 2026 in Tijuana, Mexico. The team's World Cup participation has been complicated by the Iran war, with the team now training in Tijuana, Mexico, instead of Tucson, Arizona, amid ongoing U.S. visa processing issues. Iran will play its first two games across the U.S. border in Southern California against New Zealand on June 15 and against Belgium on June 21. 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The team's World Cup participation has been complicated by the Iran war, with the team now training in Tijuana, Mexico, instead of Tucson, Arizona, amid ongoing U.S. visa processing issues. Iran will play its first two games across the U.S. border in Southern California against New Zealand on June 15 and against Belgium on June 21. (Photo by Mario Tama\/Getty Images)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=1472#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Iran at the World Cup: War, Visa Issues, Ticket Problems and a Pride Match"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/","name":"US Moving Experts","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d4595f9a47af262eb0de41137cae39b6","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com"],"url":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1472\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}