Los Angeles, June 19, 2026: Iran’s national football team will lodge a formal complaint with FIFA over travel restrictions imposed during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, the Iranian Football Federation (IFF) announced on Thursday.
According to an IFF spokesperson, the team’s preparations for the tournament have been disrupted by limitations imposed by tournament organisers, preventing the implementation of plans drawn up by the coaching staff well in advance.
“Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well ahead of time, Iran’s national football team has once again encountered restrictions affecting the execution of its technical staff’s plans,” the spokesperson said.
The latest dispute centers on Iran’s request to travel from its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to Los Angeles two days before its Group Stage match against Belgium, scheduled for Sunday.
Iranian officials argued that an earlier arrival was necessary to allow players adequate time to adjust to local conditions, complete final training sessions, and optimize preparations for the noon kickoff at SoFi Stadium.
“Given that the match will be played at 12:00 p.m. local time in Los Angeles, the Football Federation of Iran requested permission for the team to travel two days before the game,” the spokesperson said. “Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied.”
The federation also expressed frustration over arrangements surrounding Iran’s opening World Cup fixture, a 2-2 draw against New Zealand, after the team was required to leave Los Angeles on the same night as the match rather than remain in the city for recovery and training.
The restrictions stem from special travel measures imposed on Iran by the United States, one of the tournament’s host nations.
Responding to the complaints earlier this week, Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said Iranian officials had been informed of the travel conditions before the tournament began.
“The team will be allowed to come in match day minus one, so the day before the match,” Giuliani told CBS News on Monday. “They’ll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match.”
He added that the same arrangement would apply to Iran’s final Group Stage encounter against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The dispute adds a political dimension to Iran’s World Cup campaign, with Tehran expected to seek FIFA’s intervention over what it considers unequal treatment compared to other participating nations.
Iran currently remains in contention for a place in the knockout stage following its draw against New Zealand and will look to secure a positive result against Belgium in Los Angeles this weekend.
