Iran files FIFA complaint as US enforces day-before-match travel rule, calling treatment a 'dark stain' on World Cup history

The complaint

Iran's football federation (FFIRI) confirmed on Thursday 19 June that it will file an official protest with FIFA over travel restrictions imposed on Team Melli during the 2026 World Cup. The team is based in Tijuana, Mexico, after relocating from its planned camp in Tucson, Arizona, following the outbreak of war between the US and Iran in late February.

This will leave a dark stain on the recent history of the World Cup. Rules must be followed.

Federation secretary-general Hedayat Mombeini told journalists in Tijuana on Friday that those who cannot apply FIFA rules should not host tournaments, and that FIFA should not select them as hosts. The federation stated that the restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect technical preparation.

What the restrictions require

Under the travel protocol enforced by US authorities, Iran's squad may enter the United States only on matchday minus one, the day before each fixture, and must leave American territory the same day the match ends. For the opening game against New Zealand on Monday, a 2-2 draw at SoFi Stadium, the team made the 204-kilometre charter flight from Tijuana to Los Angeles on matchday minus one and was required to return to Mexico immediately after the match, which finished around 8 p.m. Pacific.

Everything is like a disaster for us.

Captain Mehdi Taremi said the ostensibly short trip took five hours including security and immigration checks. Iran had requested permission to travel two days before the New Zealand match and to delay its return by one day; both requests were denied. Ahead of Sunday's match against Belgium in Los Angeles, with a noon Pacific kickoff, a fresh request for a two-day advance arrival was also rejected.

Iran's position

Coach Amir Ghalenoei described Iran as the most oppressed team in the entire World Cup, citing the absence of the team's president, media contingent, and numerous support staff. The federation insisted that its coaching staff's plan required arrival two days before each match to achieve optimal technical and physical condition, followed by a return the day after the fixture.

All these limitations on us, it has negative effects on our physical and mental things on our players.

Mombeini added that Iran is the only team participating in the World Cup that is present in host cities for just 24 hours. The issue extends beyond travel scheduling: between 11 and 15 staff members, depending on the source, have been denied US visas, and striker Mehdi Torabi had to visit the US consulate in Tijuana to obtain a new visa after the first match.

The US response

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, stated on CBS News that Iran had been informed well in advance that it would only be permitted to enter the US on the day before each match and would be asked to leave the evening of the match. He maintained that this procedure was agreed with the Iranian team and FIFA weeks ago and discussed for months.

Everything is constantly evolving, it can be talked about, and of course we want to guarantee a level playing field.

At a press conference in Seattle on Friday, Giuliani did not close the door to adjustments for Iran's third group match against Egypt, scheduled for 26 June in Seattle. He emphasised that the arrangement had been in place for some time and that the US wanted fair competition on the pitch.

FIFA rules and the tournament context

The FIFA 2026 World Cup regulations, Article 18.3, state that teams shall travel from their base camp to the match venue one day before matchday, and in exceptional cases on matchday minus two, returning after the match on matchday or matchday plus one. Several sources note that Iran's schedule is not unusual for short-distance travel in this tournament, and many teams have been arriving in host cities the day before their matches.

The 2026 tournament is the first in football history where a host nation is at war with a participating team. The US and Israel launched joint military strikes on 28 February 2026, triggering Iranian retaliation. An interim agreement to end the war has been signed, but the travel restrictions on Iran's team have not been lifted. All three of Iran's group games are in the US, and should they progress to the knockout stages, they will play in either the US or Canada, with no matches in Mexico.