Iran's national football squad has arrived in Mexico as disputes continue over entry permits and stadium access for venues located in the United States.

Although every group stage match for Iran takes place on American soil, the athletes along with their support personnel must cross borders each match day to enter and depart the country.

The tournament, shared among the United States, Canada and Mexico, opens on 11 June after Iran earned qualification by topping their group in March 2025, nearly twelve months prior to the outbreak of conflict involving the United States and Israel.

This marks the first time a World Cup features a host country welcoming a squad from a nation with which it is engaged in hostilities.

American authorities confirmed that entry permits were granted to every player and required support members last Friday, ten days ahead of the opening contest scheduled for Los Angeles on 15 June.

Reports from Iranian state-affiliated outlets indicate that fifteen team officials, among them the federation president, vice president and media chief, have been refused permission to enter the United States.

United States representatives stated that Iran cannot exploit the process to introduce security threats under false identities, reflecting earlier remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that barred individuals connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a key element of Iran's military structure.

Multiple members of the Iranian roster have fulfilled compulsory military duties associated with that organization.

The Iranian diplomatic mission in Turkey criticized the United States for injecting political bias into athletic events by withholding visas from numerous administrative and operational personnel as well as technical consultants.

Diplomatic staff further urged Fifa, the global football authority, to address the permit dispute.

Iran will additionally face Belgium in California and Egypt in Seattle during the remaining group fixtures.