Iran awaits U.S. visas, trains in Turkey before World Cup

Iran’s World Cup campaign has become a logistical test before a ball is kicked. While Amir Ghalenoei’s players trained in Antalya, the full squad filed into visa appointments in Ankara on May 21, waiting to learn whether they will be cleared to enter the United States for the tournament’s group stage.

The uncertainty reaches far beyond paperwork. Iran is scheduled to play all three Group G matches on U.S. soil, facing New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles, Belgium on June 21 in Los Angeles and Egypt on June 26 in Seattle. If Iran advances, it would also need access to Canada for the knockout rounds, making the visa process central to whether the team can move through the competition at all.

Iran’s domestic league was suspended after U.S. and Israeli strikes that began on February 28, and many of the players based at home went seven weeks without competitive soccer. That has left the squad short of match fitness even as the expanded 48-team World Cup begins on June 11 and runs through July 19. Iran qualified early, but its preparations have been shaped by war, security fears and the possibility of travel restrictions.

The Iranian Football Federation said U.S. visa applications would be handled in Turkey after talks with FIFA. The entire squad applied for Canadian visas, and some players also applied for U.S. entry. Iranian officials said they expected an answer from U.S. authorities this week and were pressing FIFA for clarity on the timetable for tournament visas. Iran’s Foreign Ministry has argued that host countries should issue the required visas without political considerations.

The federation has also moved the team’s World Cup base camp from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, after FIFA approved the change. Iran plans to use Club Tijuana’s facilities near Estadio Caliente, a switch officials said was intended to reduce logistical, security and immigration complications. Mehdi Taj said the move would help avoid visa problems tied to the war, while coach Ghalenoei still faces a June 1 deadline to name his final 26-man squad. Iran is due to play Gambia in a friendly on May 29, another stop in a buildup defined as much by borders as by football.