Iran National Football Team Departs for Mexico for FIFA World Cup 2026 Amidst Visa Uncertainty

Kathmandu. Iran's national football team is set to depart for Mexico on Saturday to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Iranian team is heading to Mexico even as uncertainty remains regarding US visas, with less than two weeks left before the first match. According to information released by the official social media page of the Iranian team on Wednesday, the team will depart from Antalya, Turkey, for Tijuana on Saturday, June 6, at 3:20 PM local time. The Iranian team, traveling via Spain, is scheduled to arrive in Mexico on Sunday, June 7, at 1:30 AM. As part of the final preparations for the World Cup, Iran will play its last friendly match against Mali in Turkey on Thursday. The Iranian team has been practicing in Turkey for the past month. Since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, the Iranian team has held two training camps in Antalya and played three friendly matches. In this series, Team Melli, as Iran is known, was defeated by Nigeria but secured victories against Costa Rica and The Gambia. The upcoming final match against Mali will be played behind closed doors within a stadium without the presence of media and spectators. The Football Federation of Iran has stated that this decision was made keeping in mind the strategic objectives of the head coach and the importance of the match. The President of the Football Federation of Iran, Mehdi Taj, had stated that the players are expected to receive visas for Mexico and subsequently, US visas will also be issued soon. However, the federation has not clarified whether visas for Mexico and the US have been obtained or not. The World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, will run from June 11 to July 19. Iran, in Group 'G', will play against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, and will face Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made it clear that Iranian citizens affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will not be allowed to enter their country under the guise of the World Cup team. Speaking at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, he stated that individuals who have no connection to sports and are associated with the IRGC will not be allowed to join the team and that the US will closely monitor this matter. Earlier in April, due to the behavior of the Canadian immigration department, the Iranian Football Federation team was sent back from Toronto airport, causing them to miss the pre-World Cup FIFA meeting in Vancouver. Despite having valid visas, immigration officials sent the team back to Turkey, citing disrespect to an honorable wing of Iran's armed forces (IRGC). Canada had placed the IRGC on its list of terrorist organizations in 2024, and Federation President Taj was also denied entry into Canada due to alleged ties with the IRGC. Following this incident, Iran had demanded a guarantee from FIFA that the US would not disrespect the IRGC during the World Cup. President Taj had stated that they would only participate if the Americans guaranteed not to disrespect their military institutions and the IRGC. According to Iran's Ministry of Health, at least 3,468 people have died and more than 26,500 have been injured in the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. In retaliation, the Iranian army has also been attacking countries in the Middle East where Israeli and American soldiers are stationed.