JAKARTA – Iran’s first match at the 2026 World Cup is less than two weeks away. The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) expects their team to receive Mexican entry permits and US visas this week.
“We will leave for Spain on Saturday (30 May 2026) and from there the team will immediately head to Tijuana in Mexico. We will get a Mexican visa on Tuesday (2 June 2026) or tomorrow and then the US visa will be issued immediately,” said FFIRI President Mehdi Taj.
Iran’s training base, which was originally planned in Tucson, Arizona, was moved to Tijuana, Mexico, at the request of the FFIRI due to security concerns that required additional visas.
Iran will play their two group stage matches in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15, 2026 and then against Belgium six days later. Iran’s third match will take place on June 26, 2026 when they face Egypt in Seattle.
Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup is in doubt since the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran in late February 2026.
Despite reports of a possible peace proposal, hostilities continue. FIFA has long insisted that Iran will fully participate in the tournament.
The visa issue is very strange for the Iranian team. In April 2026, Taj’s visa to enter Canada was canceled due to his previous affiliation with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran, which has been classified as a terrorist organization by Canada and the United States.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday, June 2, 2021, that the Iranian delegation would be closely monitored for anyone with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“We have no problem with the athletes, as we have stated before, or their support staff. However, what we will not allow is that they include a number of people in their delegation who we know have nothing to do with the athletes and have ties to the IRGC or such things.”
“So, we’ll be watching that very closely. We’ll continue to watch that very closely, but in general, I don’t anticipate that being an issue with other countries,” Rubio said during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing.
With professional football suspended since the outbreak of the war, Iran has been training in the Turkish city of Antalya for the 2026 World Cup.
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