Iran’s national football team has been granted visas to enter the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, ending uncertainty over the country’s participation in the tournament amid continuing political
tensions in the Middle East.
The confirmation came on Friday from US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, while a separate statement from a US State Department official also verified that the visas had been approved.
The decision ensures Iran will be able to compete in football’s biggest event despite the recent conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, with only a fragile ceasefire currently in place.
“Proud of our outstanding team at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for their work processing visas for Iran’s national football team on their road to the FIFA World Cup in the United States,” Barrack said in a social media post.
“Sports transcend borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world.”
A US administration official confirmed the development while stressing that security checks would remain stringent.
“We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses,” the official said.
The Iranian squad is scheduled to depart Turkey for Spain on Saturday before travelling to Mexico, where it will establish its World Cup base camp.
Originally, Iran had planned to stay in the United States during the tournament. However, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran prompted a change of plans, with the team opting to base itself in Mexico instead.
Despite that switch, all three of Iran’s group-stage matches will take place on American soil.
Iran will begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 16 before facing Belgium, also in Los Angeles. Their final group-stage fixture will be against Egypt in Seattle.
