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By Marni Rose McFall
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Iran is set to lodge an official complaint with FIFA over travel restrictions that the country's soccer team is facing at the 2026 World Cup.
Iran's involvement in the World Cup was plagued with uncertainty this year amid the conflict with the U.S, though President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian did sign an initial peace deal this week aimed at ending the war.
The Iran team is allowed to fly into the U.S. one day before their matches, and must leave the country on the same day under the conditions of their visas. Amir Ghalenoei, Iran's head coach, has said his players are "the most oppressed" at the tournament.
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On Friday, the Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI) said: "The football federation of Iran believes that such restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect teams' preparation processes.
"Consequently, the federation will formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with FIFA through the appropriate channels."
“Despite these limitations, Iran’s national team will continue its preparation programme and remain fully focused on its upcoming match against Belgium,” the statement continued.
Newsweek contacted FIFA for comment outside of normal business hours.
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US-Iran Conflict Looms Large Over World Cup Participation
Days before the tournament's June 11 opening, Iran was 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 and logistical issues for the team, turning the sport's biggest event into a stage for the conflict between Tehran and Washington.
In March, Trump had discouraged the team from coming, saying he did not think it was “appropriate.” Iran’s federation pushed back and said that no one can “exclude it” from playing.
Iran's three group stage games are set in the U.S, but the team had to establish its training base in Mexico, near the U.S. border in Tijuana. They were supposed to train in Tucson, Arizona.
When the team arrived for in Mexico ahead of their opening game against New Zealand in Los Angeles, the players stepped off the plane wearing gold lapel pins reading "168," a reference to the people killed, most of them children, in a February 28 missile strike on a girls' school in southern Iran on the first day of the war with the U.S. and Israel.
Several members of the Iranian delegation were denied visas to travel to the U.S., including Iran Football Federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj.
Iran Calls on FIFA to 'Uphold the Principles of Neutrality'
Allocation of tickets was also revoked on the eve of the tournament, said the Iranian soccer federation.
It said that its ticket allocation for the FIFA World Cup has been pulled just days before the tournament was set to start.
The FFIRI said it had already begun the process of selling tickets, but could no longer sell any to fans ahead of Iran's first match against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
"This is despite the fact that many Iranian football fans, relying on the officially announced process, had already made the necessary plans to attend the matches," the FFIRI said.
“Depriving Iranian supporters of access to their lawful and official allocation of tickets is an action contrary to the spirit of governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries," it added.
It called on FIFA to “uphold the principles of neutrality, fairness and established regulations.”
FIFA has yet to respond to news that Iran will launch a complaint, but has insisted throughout that the tournament would proceed as scheduled.
Infantino said earlier this year: "Of course Iran will be participating in the FIFA World Cup. And the reason for that is very simple, dear friends, is because we have to unite."
Iran faces Belgium in L.A. on June 21 and closes the group stage against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
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