Iran to Play Two 2026 World Cup Matches Near Los Angeles After Trump Administration Approves Team Visas

Iran is scheduled to play two group-stage matches in the Los Angeles area during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Los Angeles has the largest Iranian population outside Tehran. President Trump signed an order in 2025 that allowed the Iranian national team players to enter the United States.

All 31 Iranian players, 26 plus five alternates, received their visas. Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, said the Trump administration’s preparations for the tournament did not influence President Donald Trump’s decisions on Iran or his push for a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

He said the World Cup did not influence any decision from a national security perspective.

Giuliani said the White House wants the world to come to the United States for the World Cup but will not compromise on security. “We want the world to come here and enjoy the World Cup,” he said. “But we do not want terrorists.

The administration is preparing for Iranian-American fans expected to attend matches and related events. Giuliani said people will be free to express their feelings outside stadiums, including waving the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag or holding protests, so long as they are not threatening law enforcement, Americans, or anyone else.

More than 400 law enforcement bodies are involved in World Cup preparations.

U.S. host cities. The FBI, Justice Department, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Communications Commission, State Department, and National Security Council are all involved in counter-drone efforts.

Giuliani said every visa decision is a national security decision. Visa wait times in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were more than 300 days a few years ago and are now only a few days. Visa wait times in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were around 700 days a few years ago and have been cut to less than two weeks.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first with 48 national teams and the first hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Matches will be held from Los Angeles to Boston, from Miami to Seattle, and almost everywhere in between.

The 2026 World Cup will be tied to America’s 250th anniversary. More than two billion people are expected to watch the World Cup final. Giuliani has spoken with President Trump about the World Cup dozens of times, including the past weekend before June 9, 2026.

The United States made its bid to host the 2026 World Cup during President Trump’s first term. S. men’s national team’s opening match but will send a senior delegation including several cabinet secretaries and Andrew Giuliani.

Giuliani said success for the administration would mean that at the end of the World Cup the public is talking about what happened on the field. Giuliani identified Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Erling Haaland as players exciting to the American public. He identified Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, and Weston McKennie as American stars who will take center stage.

Andrew Giuliani is the son of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and is 40 years old.