Iran to File FIFA Complaint Over World Cup Travel Restrictions in United States

Iran’s football federation has announced plans to submit an official complaint to FIFA, alleging that its national team has faced travel restrictions during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

The complaint centres on Iran’s request to travel earlier than permitted from its training base in Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angeles ahead of Sunday’s Group Stage encounter against Belgium.

According to a spokesperson for the Iranian Football Federation, the team sought approval to arrive in the United States two days before the fixture in order to complete preparations under optimal conditions. However, the request was reportedly rejected.

The federation expressed frustration over what it described as repeated limitations affecting the execution of its technical staff’s plans.

“Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran’s national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organisers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff’s plans,” the spokesperson said.

With the match scheduled for 12:00pm local time in Los Angeles (1900 GMT), Iran argued that an earlier arrival would have allowed the squad adequate time to adapt to local conditions and finalise preparations.

“The Football Federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match,” the spokesperson continued.

“The objective was to enable the players to adjust to match conditions, complete their final training session and conclude preparations appropriately.

“Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied.”

The federation added that it intends to formally register its concerns with football’s world governing body.

“The federation will officially express its dissatisfaction and lodge a complaint with FIFA through the appropriate channels,” the spokesperson concluded.

The issue follows earlier complaints from Iran regarding logistical arrangements during the competition.

Iranian officials were previously unhappy after being required to leave Los Angeles on the evening of their opening World Cup fixture, which ended in a 2–2 draw against New Zealand.

Meanwhile, United States officials have rejected criticism over the arrangements.

Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House FIFA Task Force, stated earlier this week that Iran had been informed in advance of the travel conditions attached to its participation in matches held in the United States.

Speaking to CBS News, Giuliani said:

“The team will be allowed to come in on matchday minus one — the day before the match.

“They’ll be asked to leave on the day the match concludes, in the evening after the game. The same arrangement will apply in Los Angeles.”

He further confirmed that identical procedures would apply to Iran’s final Group Stage fixture against Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.

Iran’s route to the tournament was already complicated by wider geopolitical tensions linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

Shortly before the World Cup began, the team relocated its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana on the US–Mexico border.

Iran has also claimed that up to 15 members of its delegation and team staff were refused visas to enter the United States, adding further complications to its tournament preparations.

The dispute now places additional attention on tournament logistics and host nation procedures as FIFA continues overseeing the first expanded 48-team World Cup across three host countries.