The drama in Los Angeles just got a whole lot more intense! Four members of Iran's World Cup delegation have scored a major victory with their visa appeals being approved – but it's game on for the rest, as eleven of their team-mates still face a US travel ban. The relieved quartet includes an analyst and two officials from the federation's international department, who will now be able to join their colleagues in the States for the co-hosted tournament.
But the drama doesn't end there – six of those who re-applied have been rejected once again, including big-hitters like Mehdi Taj, the President of the Iran Football Federation (FFIRI), and one of its vice-presidents. The team will still be without key personnel such as two crucial administrators, a media officer, and a security officer – plus a second media officer who chose not to try their luck again after an initial rejection.
The visa saga has been the elephant in the room for Iran's preparations ahead of their tournament opener against New Zealand on 15th June in Los Angeles. They'll then face Belgium in LA before heading to Seattle for a date with Egypt on 26th June. It's not just the team that's being kept out, either – US officials have even gone and revoked Iran's group-stage ticket allocation for supporters, sparking widespread outrage.
FIFA has vowed to keep Iranian fans attending matches as high on their agenda as possible, but it's clear the visa issues are causing major headaches all around. Somali referee Omar Artan has also been denied entry to the US, joining a growing list of World Cup personnel who've fallen foul of the country's strict immigration rules.