Iran's World Cup team faces difficult travel schedule due to U.S. visa policy

The Iranian national football team faces an arduous logistical challenge during the 2026 World Cup, as players and staff must repeatedly enter and exit the United States for their matches. This strict schedule is a direct consequence of the ongoing tensions and conflict between the U.S. and Iran.

Iran is set to play its group stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle. They will face New Zealand and Belgium at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, and then play Egypt at Lumen Field in Washington state. The requirement to travel in and out of the U.S. for each game adds significant strain to their tournament preparation and execution.

Adding to the difficulties, the Iranian ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, stated that 15 members of the delegation, primarily officials and tactical staff, have not yet received U.S. visas. This situation presents a "challenge for the team." The team has moved its training camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, after learning of the new visa conditions. Travel between Tijuana and U.S. venues could be by private plane or land, depending on FIFA's directives.

Despite these hurdles, the team respects FIFA's decisions. While the players and necessary support staff obtained their visas, reports indicated that applications for over ten members of the medical and sports support staff, as well as the president of the Iranian Football Federation, were rejected. This comes amid reports of new U.S. attacks against Iran, even with a ceasefire in effect, further complicating the situation for the Iranian delegation.