The American authorities refused to grant the President of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, and more than a dozen officials and administrators in the Iranian mission entry visas to the United States to participate in the 2026 World Cup finals, despite agreeing to grant visas to all 26 players of the national team.

Reports quoted American officials as saying that the refusal to grant a visa to Mehdi Taj came under the pretext that he previously held a leadership position in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which Washington classifies as a terrorist organization. The American ban decision included other prominent names in the mission, including the team director, Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, and the Secretary-General of the Federation, Hedayat Membini, in addition to the executive director, media director, and performance analysts of the Iranian national team.

The US administration had previously confirmed that it did not object to the entry of Iranian athletes, stressing that it would not allow entry permits to be granted to any officials or companions suspected of being connected to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard under the guise of a sports or media mission.