Iran's national football team will depart for its pre-World Cup training base in Mexico on Saturday, June 6, despite the lack of clarity over US entry visas less than two weeks before their opening match.
According to an announcement on the team's official social media account on Wednesday, June 4, players and staff will leave Antalya, Turkey, for Tijuana, Mexico, at 3:20 p.m. local time, with an expected arrival at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 7. They will transit through Spain.
Iran will play its final pre-World Cup friendly against Mali on Thursday, June 5, in Turkey, where the team has been training since last month. They have played three friendlies during two training camps in Antalya, losing to Nigeria and beating Costa Rica and Gambia. The match against Mali will be closed to the press.
Earlier, on Monday, June 2, Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj said players were expected to receive Mexican visas on Tuesday or Wednesday, after which US visas would be issued quickly. However, the federation has not confirmed the current visa status.
The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, runs from June 11 to July 19. Iran is in Group G, facing New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and June 21, respectively, and then Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
In related developments, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, June 3, that the US will not allow Iranians with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to “infiltrate” the sports delegation. He said, “We will not allow them to bring into the delegation people who have nothing to do with sports but have links to the IRGC.”
Earlier, in April, a delegation from the Iranian Football Federation, including Mr. Taj, was denied entry at Toronto Pearson International Airport despite holding valid visas, due to Canada listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization in 2024. The incident prompted Iran to ask FIFA to ensure the US does not insult the IRGC during the World Cup.
