US grants World Cup visas to Iran national football team

Iran's national football team has received visas from the United States to compete in the FIFA World Cup, easing travel concerns amid ongoing political tensions between Washington and Tehran. U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye, Tom Barrack, announced on Friday that the U.S. Embassy in Ankara successfully processed the necessary visas for the squad.

"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 @FIFAWorldCup in the United States," Barrack stated. He emphasized the role of sports in transcending borders, expressing anticipation for welcoming competitors and fans globally.

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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 @FIFAWorldCup in the United States.

The Iranian team is scheduled to depart from Türkiye for Spain on Saturday, followed by a journey to their designated base camp in Mexico. They are expected to arrive in Mexico on Sunday. While their group stage matches are set to take place in the United States, the team will be based in Mexico for the duration of the tournament in North America.

Initially, Iran's team was slated to be based in the U.S. However, they opted to switch their camp to Mexico due to existing tensions between Iran and the United States. The two nations have experienced strained relations since the U.S. and Israel initiated bombing campaigns against Iran in late February, although a fragile cease-fire is currently in effect. Iran is set to begin its World Cup campaign against New Zealand on June 16 in Los Angeles, followed by matches against Belgium, also in Los Angeles, and Egypt in Seattle.

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Sports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world.