The head of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, has not received a visa to enter the United States before the World Cup, which begins on June 11, The New York Times reported.
Mehdi Taj is a former officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In addition to him, the Executive Director of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Harati, the Secretary-General of the organization, Hedayat Mumbini, and the Media Director, Mohsen Motamedakia, were also denied visas. Reports The Guardian.
Visas were issued to Iranian national team players. US officials said they were also received by “essential support personnel.” At the same time, they stressed that they would not allow “the system to be abused so that terrorists can infiltrate the United States.”
Iran accused the United States of discrimination and called on FIFA to intervene in the situation. Iran claims that visas have been denied to a large number of sports officials and technical advisors who “form an integral part of any national team.”
The FIFA World Cup will be held in three countries – the USA, Canada and Mexico. The Iranian national team will play its first match on June 15 in Los Angeles.
In March, Iranian officials said the national soccer team would not travel to the United States to participate in the World Cup, but that decision was later modified.