Iran's soccer federation accused the United States of "vindictive behavior" after denying visas to 14 key officials, including secretary-general Hedayat Mombeini and vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi. The team prepared for World Cup matches in Los Angeles and Seattle while denied officials traveled to Mexico where efforts continued to obtain visas.

Iran's World Cup participation has faced complications due to the Iran war, forcing the team to move its training base from Arizona to Mexico. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed all players received visas but stated they would monitor for ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, suggesting some applicants were rejected for "false pretenses".

The Iranian squad left Turkey for Mexico on Saturday, having secured visas from the Mexican Embassy. Iran faces New Zealand on June 15, Belgium on June 21, and Egypt on June 26, with a potential meeting against the U.S. in the round of 32. Star forward Sardar Azmoun was dropped from the team reportedly due to a social media post that angered Iranian authorities during the war.