The United States has confirmed that Iranian footballers have been granted visas to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, even as the two countries remain at war. US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack made the announcement on X on Friday, expressing pride in the team at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for processing the visas.
"Sports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world," Barrack said, commenting on a news report about the visa approvals.
The Iranian squad is scheduled to fly from Turkey to Spain on Saturday before heading to their base camp in Mexico, which has also issued visas. The team will be based in Mexico during the tournament, which is being hosted across North America. However, all three of their group stage matches will take place in the United States.
Initially, Iran planned to base themselves in the US but relocated to Mexico due to heightened tensions between the two nations over the conflict in the Middle East. The US and Israel began bombing Iran in late February, though a fragile ceasefire is currently in place.
Iran will begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on June 16 in Los Angeles. They are also scheduled to face Belgium in LA and Egypt in Seattle during the group stage.
