Iranian FA to Submit Official Appeal to FIFA Over Travel Restrictions

Written by Pavel Kateliev

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, | Updated: June 19, 2026

Iranian players celebrate after scoring against New Zealand

Key Takeaways:

Iran’s national football team announced plans to file a formal complaint with FIFA regarding travel limitations at the World Cup in North America
The Iranian federation stated that a request to travel from Tijuana to Los Angeles two days before their next match against Belgium on Sunday was refused
Officials expressed concerns that these restrictions disrupt their preparations, hindering adequate player adaptation and final training ahead of the 12pm kick-off in Los Angeles

Federation Protests Programme Disruption

The Iranian football federation declared on Thursday that it will submit a formal complaint to FIFA, asserting that travel restrictions imposed during the World Cup in North America have compromised the team’s planned preparations. According to the federation’s spokesman, the national squad had shared their training schedule well in advance of the tournament, yet found themselves facing organisational barriers that undermined the technical staff’s arrangements.

🚨 L’IRAN 🇮🇷 VA PORTER PLAINTE AUPRÈS DE LA FIFA PENDANT LE MONDIAL ! ⚖️
Visas refusés, arrivée autorisée un jour avant le match, retour précipité au Mexique 🇲🇽…
La fédération iranienne dénonce des conditions inégales par rapport aux autres nations. 😤
🗞️ @lequipe pic.twitter.com/f70nVHURtC
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) June 19, 2026

Denied Request for Early Arrival in Los Angeles

Iran’s team, currently based in Tijuana, Mexico, aimed to fly to Los Angeles two days ahead of their upcoming fixture against Belgium, scheduled for Sunday. The intention was to give players optimal time to adapt to local conditions, conduct their final training, and finetune match preparations. Despite citing these technical reasons, the relevant organising bodies denied the federation’s travel request.

Impact on Match Preparations

The federation spokesman explained, “Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran’s national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organisers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff’s plans.”

He further outlined the rationale for the request: “Given that the game will be played at 12pm local time in Los Angeles, the Football Federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match. The aim was to provide sufficient time for players to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalise preparations. Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied.”