World Cup 2026 live updates: Bay Area gearing up for matches at Levi's Stadium

Iran's World Cup campaign is set to begin Monday in Inglewood against New Zealand, but visa denials affecting members of the country's soccer federation have become a central issue surrounding the team's arrival in the United States.

According to officials, 15 Iranian soccer federation members were denied U.S. visas ahead of the tournament.

Players and coaching staff were not impacted by the visa denials.

The U.S. State Department cited security concerns, alleging abuse of the visa system to "sneak terrorists in the United States under false pretenses." No further details about those allegations have been released.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio had indicated that the Trump administration had "no problem" with providing visas to Iran's team during his testimony on Capitol Hill earlier this month- but he said the administration would not allow the regime to use the event to bring in IRGC-affiliates.

"What we're not going to allow is for them to embed in their delegation a bunch of people that we know have nothing to do with athletics and have ties to the IRGC or things of that nature, so we were going to watch that very closely," he said.

Iran is the only World Cup team whose federation has faced such a large number of denied entries, adding complications to its tournament preparations. As a result of the visa issues, the team made last-minute changes, moving its training base from Arizona to Tijuana.

Despite those challenges, Iran is scheduled to open play Monday at the SoFi Stadium (renamed Los Angeles Stadium by FIFA) against New Zealand. The match, set for 6 p.m., is one of two games Iran will play in the Los Angeles area.

Southern California is home to the largest Iranian population outside Iran. Hundreds of thousands of people of Iranian descent live in the region, making the team's presence a significant cultural moment for many supporters.

However, excitement around the match is tempered by what's become a very complicated situation. Fans are grappling with mixed emotions tied to the ongoing war in Iran, which has added a layer of complexity to what might otherwise be a celebratory occasion.

For the players and coaching staff, the focus remains on competition. Iran enters the match as the favored team against New Zealand.

As for the war, it appears an agreement to end it is near.

Pakistan's prime minister said Friday that mediators are working with both sides in the conflict to finalize an agreement, adding that "peace has never been this close."

ABC News contributed to this report.

A special agent of the FBI talked about the agency's security plans ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in the Bay Area.

The FBI's San Francisco Field Office is ramping up security preparations ahead of the first FIFA World Cup match in the Bay Area on June 13, when Qatar takes on Switzerland.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post Wednesday that preventing terrorist attacks is the agency's top priority during the tournament.

"For the FBI and its partners, preventing terrorist attacks is job #1 during the upcoming 2026 @FIFAWorldCup. Extremists have used major global sporting events in the past to do harm and spread their twisted ideologies. We are totally determined to head off any potential incidents and ensure the safety of players, fans, and all Americans and visitors during the tournament," Patel wrote.

Matt Cobo, the acting special agent in charge of the FBI's San Francisco Field Office, said the effort -- dubbed "Operation Goal Kick" -- is a coordinated, multi-agency approach to keeping fans and participants safe.

"Safety and security is everything to us. There are a lot of international matters going on in the Middle East and other parts of the world, and so we're very focused in on just the safety. And we're also leveraging intelligence centers back in Washington, D.C.," Cobo said. "So we have the International Police Cooperation Center that is based out in Virginia, and those bring in some of our international police units that are able to really understand what those threats are in those particular countries, and then help us to action that here in the U.S."

The Americans - who enter the tournament ranked 17th by FIFA - hope that matches on their home soil can lead to a World Cup breakthrough.

The U.S. has advanced to the knockout round in four of the last six World Cups it has played, but hasn't been able to get past the quarterfinals.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino was hired in 2024 after successful stints at several European clubs. It's a big tournament for forward Christian Pulisic, who enters this World Cup in his prime and with high expectations.

READ MORE: 5 players with local connections on U.S. Men's National Team roster

The Americans' first opponent, Paraguay, is the lowest-ranked team in Group D at No. 47 and back in the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. Ramon Sosa and Julio Enciso are among the team's best players.

The match kicks off tonight at 9 p.m.

South Korea beat Czechia 2-1 in a thrilling Group A game in Mexico on Thursday night.

South Korea went down 1-0 after a goal by Ladislav Krejci in the 59th minute but then scored twice to come away with three points. A goal by Oh Hyeon-Gyu in the 80th minute proved to be the difference.