Iran national football team granted visa for 2026 World Cup

The Iran national football team has been granted visas to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to Mohammad Hassan Habibollahzadeh, Iran's Ambassador to Türkiye, Report informs via IRNA.

Habibollahzadeh said that coordination between Tehran's embassy in Ankara and the Mexican embassy resulted in visas being issued on June 3 for the players, technical staff, and administrative team.

"In line with the agreement, the procedure for issuing Mexican visas was carried out exceptionally at the Mexican embassy without the team's physical presence in Ankara and without fingerprinting. This step was taken to facilitate Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup and reflects close cooperation between the Iranian and Mexican embassies in Ankara," the ambassador stated.

He added that the national team is currently in the final stage of preparation at its training camp in Antalya, Türkiye:

"Avoiding travel to Ankara allows the team to focus on daily training and preparations for the friendly match against Mali on June 4."

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will feature 48 teams. Iran has been drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand.

Previously, Iran faced difficulties in obtaining US and Mexican visas for players and staff. Since the delegation will need to travel between host countries during the tournament, multiple-entry visas are required.