A WIN against the United Arab Emirates and a draw with Uzbekistan were enough to see Iran become one of the first non-host nations to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Their qualification and likely visit to the United States raised familiar problems around the nation that will host the 2026 tournament along with Canada and Mexico.

A New York Times report earlier this month revealed that the Trump administration is proposing a new travel ban on 43 countries. The list is separated into three groups, with countries in one of those groups subjected to a full visa suspension, ie a complete ban. Iran is one of the nations in that group, along with other potential World Cup qualifiers, Sudan and Venezuela.