Iran to file FIFA complaint over US visa curbs at World Cup

TEHRAN, Iran — TEHRAN — The Iranian Football Federation said it will file an official complaint with FIFA over what it described as U.S. restrictions imposed on its national team during the World Cup, according to a federation statement. A federation official said Iran was allowed to arrive in Los Angeles only one day before its match against Belgium, disrupting the team's preparation schedule. The federation argues the arrangement is incompatible with the principle of equal opportunity for all participating teams and said the protest would be submitted through official channels. The United States denied visas to approximately 15 members of the Iranian delegation, the federation said. The team was also forced at short notice to relocate its pre-tournament training camp from the United States to Tijuana, Mexico. The technical staff's original plan called for the team to arrive in each host city two days before a match and depart one day after. Iran instead reached Los Angeles only on the eve of its opening match against New Zealand and was required to leave the city immediately after the final whistle. Iran had requested permission to enter Los Angeles from Friday for Sunday's 12:00 local time fixture against Belgium, but the request was reportedly rejected again. No further details were immediately available on FIFA's response.