US orders Iran World Cup squad to leave within hours of matches amid visa row

United States officials have confirmed that Iran’s World Cup squad must leave the country within hours of the final whistle after group matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.

The policy was reiterated on Tuesday following criticism over the team’s visa arrangements and their brief stay in the US after their opening game, CNN reports.

“We were clear this was the process,” Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, told the Associated Press.

The rules came under scrutiny after Team Melli’s politically charged 2-2 draw with New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday, a match played amid months of uncertainty over Iran’s participation in the tournament.

Iran’s delegation left the United States within hours of the match, departing Los Angeles at about 8pm local time (03:00 GMT) to return to their base camp in Mexico.

Players and officials said they had expected to stay overnight in California for standard recovery routines, with several criticising the rushed departure.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei said the squad was ordered to leave only hours after the match, denying players the usual post-match rest at a local hotel.

Iran captain Mehdi Taremi described lengthy travel and security checks on what is typically a short journey from Tijuana to the Los Angeles region, saying the process took about five hours. “I think FIFA have to help us more than this,” Taremi said.

The US also faced criticism after winger Mehdi Torabi’s entry visa expired following the first match. Team officials later confirmed that the State Department issued him a new multiple-entry visa allowing him to return for future games.

“This issue has been resolved,” the State Department said, adding it acted quickly to ensure the player can participate in all matches.

Giuliani acknowledged that some support staff and officials had been denied entry, but said all players and coaches had received visas.

He declined to provide details on those turned away, referring instead to comments by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that anyone with direct ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would be barred from entering the United States.

“Secretary Rubio said very clearly: Anybody with direct ties to the IRGC is not coming into the United States of America,” Giuliani said.