Iran's national football team attended visa interviews in Turkey ahead of the World Cup, with the entire squad applying for Canadian visas and some players also filing for U.S. entry.
An official from the Iran Football Federation said that on May 21, several players personally submitted applications in the Turkish capital Ankara. The full team participated in Canadian visa interviews, while some players who had never applied for a U.S. visa before the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in February also went to the embassy to hand in documents.
Several Iranian players who play abroad joined the squad in Ankara before moving to a training camp in Antalya on Turkey's Mediterranean coast.
The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Iran will play all three group-stage matches on the U.S. West Coast: facing New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles, then Egypt on June 26 in Seattle. If they advance, they would need to travel to Canada for knockout-round games.
Iran is holding its pre-tournament training camp in Turkey after the Iranian domestic league was suspended since March, leaving many players short of match fitness. Coach Amir Ghalenoei is working to prepare the squad, especially as most domestic players have not played official matches for seven weeks.
Iran had already secured its spot in the expanded 48-team World Cup, but preparations have been overshadowed by travel and security uncertainties following the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran. The Iran Football Federation earlier said the team's U.S. visa applications would be processed in Turkey after discussions with FIFA.
Iran is scheduled to play a friendly against Gambia on May 29 before coach Ghalenoei announces the final 26-man squad, with the deadline of June 1 as required by FIFA.
