Iran's football delegation faces unprecedented entry restrictions at the 2026 World Cup, allowed in the United States only on days with scheduled matches, then required to depart.
Mehdi Mohebi stated: "They treat us unfairly, but what can we do? For football it's bad." The restriction disrupts the squad's standard preparation routine between group-stage matches, limiting pre-match training and recovery sessions.
The constraint requires repeated border crossings or extended absences from the USA, creating logistical disadvantage. Such visa-based participation restrictions are rare at World Cups and reflect geopolitical tensions affecting Iran's tournament participation.
Iran's disrupted preparation schedule between matches may shift their group-stage match odds in betting markets due to accumulated travel fatigue and limited training time.