Iran's Mehdi Torabi, Arya Yousefi and Payam Niazmand during the warm up before the match between Iran and New Zealand on June 15. PHOTO: REUTERS
Iranian player US visa expired after World Cup debut
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Iran's World Cup campaign has been hit by a major diplomatic setback. State media reported on Tuesday, that winger Mehdi Torabi’s US visa has officially expired.
The move leaves Torabi’s availability for the remainder of the tournament in serious jeopardy amidst an ongoing diplomatic standoff between Tehran and Washington.
The Iranian Football Federation confirmed that while most members of Team Melli were granted standard multiple-entry visas for the tournament.
Torabi was uniquely issued a restrictive, single-entry visa by US authorities.
Following Iran's 2-2 opening draw against New Zealand in Los Angeles, the player's legal authorization to remain on American soil immediately lapsed.
According to state news agency IRNA, Torabi was forced to leave the country immediately after the match.
"Following the national team's trip to Los Angeles for the match against New Zealand and the conclusion of that game, Torabi's visa has now expired," the official report stated, confirming that the winger boarded the team's charter flight out of the US to their temporary tournament base in Mexico.
The administrative logjam stems from broader geopolitical friction.
Due to severe security concerns and logistical bottlenecks, Iran elected to base its training camp in Mexico, requiring players to clear border controls before and after every match scheduled on US territory.
Iranian officials previously stated that nearly 15 members of their overall World Cup delegation were denied entry visas entirely.
The administrative nightmare has also trickled down to the team's top stars. Separate reports indicate that team captain Mehdi Taremi and an additional staff member faced intensive, prolonged screenings and security difficulties at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) during the team's post-match departure.
The Iranian Football Federation announced it has launched an emergency appeal with international tournament organizers to rapidly secure a new visa for Torabi.
However, time is a luxury the squad does not have. Team Melli is scheduled to return to California on Sunday, June 21 for a highly demanding Group G clash against Belgium at SoFi Stadium, followed by a final group stage fixture against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
