According to RMC, the Iranian team experienced multiple delays when leaving the United States after playing their first 2026 FIFA World Cup match in Los Angeles, with two players held at the border and another discovering that their visa had expired.
Reportedly, border checks did not go smoothly when the Iranian team entered the US from Mexico, causing delays for several players and a prolonged entry process. According to the Iranian Football Federation, the return journey was no different.
After a 2-2 draw with New Zealand at , the Iranian Football Federation stated that departure procedures at Los Angeles Airport "caused delays for two key members of the team, and difficulties were encountered during departure, just as on the outbound journey."
The two main players undergoing inspection included captain Mehdi Taremi. The Iranian Football Federation added: "The departure process for these two players also suffered unreasonable delays at the airport exit, leading to a postponement of the national team's departure time to Tijuana." The federation stated: "Currently, all members of the national team have boarded the plane, but Mehdi Taremi and Saeid Al-Hawiyeh are still completing airport departure procedures, and work is underway to resolve this issue."
In a second statement, the Iranian Football Federation further explained: "The visa of Iranian national team player Mehdi Torabi expired after only a single entry into the United States." The federation also wrote: "Mehdi Torabi's visa allowed only one entry. Therefore, after the team traveled to Los Angeles to play New Zealand and completed the match, this player's visa became invalid."
"The Iranian Football Federation has already begun the process of renewing Torabi's visa so that the player can participate in the upcoming matches with the national team," the agency concluded in its statement.