Football · Tijuana, Los Angeles, and Seattle
Iran heads to World Cup without final warm-up as Grenada cancels and visa row deepens
Iran's final test match against Grenada is canceled, and 15 federation officials still lack US visas, adding political tension to the team's World Cup campaign that starts this week.
In brief
Grenada pulled out of a planned warm-up in Tijuana, leaving Iran without a final pre-tournament test.
15 Iranian football officials, including federation president Mehdi Tadsch, are still waiting for US entry visas.
Players will be allowed into the US only on match days and must return to Mexico the same day, the ambassador said.
Federation chief Tadsch accused the US of malice and announced a formal protest to FIFA.
- 16 JunIran vs New Zealand in Los Angeles.
- 21 JunIran vs Belgium in Los Angeles.
- 27 JunIran vs Egypt in Seattle.
Canceled warm-up matches
Iran will enter the 2026 World Cup without a final test match after Grenada withdrew from a planned fixture in Tijuana, citing insufficient preparation. It is the second friendly to be canceled; an earlier match against Puerto Rico in the United States was scrapped when Iran moved its training camp from Arizona to Mexico.
Visa obstacles and US entry rules
Iranian ambassador Abolfazl Pasandideh told journalists in Tijuana that Iranian players would be permitted to enter the United States only on match days and must leave on the same day, returning to their base in Mexico. He added that 15 officials of the Iranian football federation, including president Mehdi Tadsch, still lack US visas ahead of the World Cup starting Thursday.
“We hope they will receive visas before Iran's first match.”
Tadsch accused the United States of malice and said the federation would file a protest with FIFA.
“Man wisse nicht, welche weiteren Schandtaten die Amerikaner am Flughafen noch begehen werden.”
Iran's group matches
Iran plays in Group G, facing New Zealand on June 16 and Belgium on June 21, both in Los Angeles, before meeting Egypt on June 27 in Seattle. Kickoff times are 3:00, 21:00, and 5:00 CEST respectively.
Background: US-Iran tensions
Since late February, Iran and the United States have been in a military conflict, which prompted the Iranian federation in late May to shift its training camp from Arizona to Tijuana, just south of San Diego. The visa and travel restrictions are tied to that conflict.