Iran’s World Cup squad has left Turkey for Mexico, state TV says, taking off under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row between Tehran and Washington after the US refused to issue visas for some of the team’s support squad.
The dispute erupted just days before the June 11 start of the 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The team took off around 6:10 pm local time for Tijuana in northwest Mexico, where they will be based for the duration of the tournament, Iranian state TV reports.
All three of Iran’s group matches are in the US, and Washington yesterday refused visas for several team staff members, including some officials with alleged ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. All players were granted visas, the US said.
Iran slammed the move as “discriminatory treatment.”
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