Iranian Footballer's Visa Expires, Future Matches in Doubt

Iranian national team striker Mehdi Torabi's US visa expired after the first match against New Zealand, and if a new one isn't issued quickly, he will miss his team's upcoming World Cup matches, according to Iran's Irna agency, cited by AFP.

Torabi did not play in his team's first match, but he might not get another chance to appear on the field. "All Iranian players received visas allowing them to enter and exit US territory, but Torabi was only granted a single-entry visa," the agency reported. After the match against New Zealand and the trip to Los Angeles, the striker's visa expired.

The federation has initiated the process for a new visa to ensure he is available to the coach for the upcoming games. Approximately 15 members of the Iranian delegation were denied visas, and captain Mehdi Taremi encountered issues at Los Angeles airport.

The Iranian team's training camp was initially planned for Tucson, Arizona, but due to the political situation, they ultimately chose to relocate to Tijuana, Mexico. This means the team must enter the US for each match; their game against Belgium is also in Los Angeles, and the third match against Egypt is in Seattle.