Four members of Iran's World Cup delegation won appeals against visa rejections, though six reapplicants were denied again and one media officer chose not to reapply. Approved were a team analyst and two federation officials; rejected were Federation president Mehdi Taj, a vice-president, and administrators responsible for day-to-day operations.
Iran moved its training base to Mexico before the tournament due to tensions with the United States. The team plays New Zealand on 15 June in Los Angeles, Belgium on 21 June, and Egypt on 26 June in Seattle.
The US revoked Iran's group-stage supporter ticket allocation this week, though FIFA stated it is working to "maximise opportunities for Iranian supporters to attend matches." The Iranian Football Federation had presented ten conditions for participation, including allowing players and staff who completed military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Iran's players would be welcome, but individuals with IRGC links could face restrictions. Iran was not represented at FIFA's annual congress in April after officials were turned away at the Canadian border.
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