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Iran’s national team suffered an unexpected blow days before their expected clash with Belgium in the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage after one of its players was threatened with absence due to administrative reasons related to injury or suspension.
Iran’s Agence France-Presse reported that Iran’s national team winger Mehdi Torabi is in danger of not participating in the Belgium game due to a visa crisis in the United States.
Iran’s matches are played on American soil, but the team sets up camp in Tijuana, Mexico due to political tensions between Iran and the United States, with the team only traveling to America on match days before returning to Mexico again.
Reports indicated that Torabi only received a single entry visa, meaning it would expire immediately after leaving New Zealand, which ended in a 2-2 draw, unlike the rest of the mission who have multiple entry visas.
The matter has turned into a real crisis in the camp of the Iranian national team, especially since the football player may not enter the USA again to play the next match against Belgium.
Reports confirm that Iran’s football federation has already begun urgent steps to obtain a new visa for the player in the hope of ending the crisis before the upcoming match date.
While the fate of the new visa was not officially revealed, the Iranian agency clarified that all members of the mission, including Torabi, left the United States and returned to Mexico after the 2-2 draw with New Zealand.
The crisis comes hours after there was a lot of criticism from the Iranian camp regarding the logistical conditions faced by the team during the tournament.
