Iran’s World Cup squad to arrive in Mexico on Sunday; still waiting for US visas

By AFP 3 June 2026, 11:06 am

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Iran's national soccer team players stand onstage as they are greeted by a crowd during a pro-government gathering before their departure for training and friendly matches in Turkey ahead of the World Cup at Islamic Revolution Square in Tehran, Iran, May 13, 2026. (AP/Vahid Salemi)

Iran’s World Cup squad will arrive early on Sunday in Mexico where they will be based for the duration of the global football tournament, a team statement says.

The Iran players, who have been at a training camp in the southern Turkish resort of Antalya since May 18, are still waiting for their US visas.

The 2026 World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, runs from June 11 to July 19.

Tensions over the war have complicated the US visa issue, with Iran’s football federation chief Mehdi Taj saying last month that Team Melli was shifting its World Cup base from Tucson in the US state of Arizona to the northwestern Mexican border city of Tijuana.