Iran's football team has been granted Visas to enter the US for the FIFA World Cup 2026. With less than two weeks before the mega event in the US, Canada
and Mexico. Given the Middle East conflict, there were doubts about whether Iran would play the World Cup matches; however, once it was confirmed by the Iranian authorities, the focus shifted to the US. On Thursday, Abolfazl Pasandideh, Iran’s ambassador to Mexico, said that the team has still not received their visas, fueling speculations, but the white house official confirmed that the visas were cleared overnight. "The visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued," Reuters quoted a white house official; however, the Iranian football federation is yet to confirm the development. Earlier, Iran had shifted its base from the USA's Arizona to Mexico’s Tijuana due to visa issues and to reduce their time on American soil. The team is set to land in Tijuana on Sunday morning. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier said that the US won't allow Iran to include individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, which could mean that a few players who have completed mandatory military service with the group might not get the required permissions.
