The Iranian delegation took a private jet from Antalya to Tijuana, Mexico on Saturday. They made this trip after changing their plans two weeks ago. Initially, they wanted to train in Tucson, Arizona.
On Tuesday, Iran’s football federation shared the schedule for their national team in the World Cup. This tournament is starting under tough conditions for Iran.
The players got the visas to enter the US, where there is military conflict with Tehran. They will play their group-stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle. But not everyone in the delegation received their visas.
This visa issue came up just days before the 2026 World Cup starts on Thursday. The tournament will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Iran’s team will stay in Tijuana during the tournament, even though all their group matches are in the US. Amir Mehdi Alavi, the spokesperson for the Iranian federation, said, "In accordance with FIFA’s programme, the team delegation will travel to the United States on a charter flight."
He added, "The team will travel to the host city one day before the match against New Zealand, and for the following two matches, we will be at the host venue two days before the game."
Iran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali also spoke about the need to avoid certain symbols during the matches. He said, "If, in the stadiums where we play, we see any flag or symbol other than that of the Islamic Republic of Iran, or if norm-breaking slogans are chanted, the team official will certainly have a duty to stop the match."
He continued, "It is the responsibility of the organisers to rectify the situation."
Iran’s World Cup participation has been affected by visa problems. Tehran claims that around 15 members of its administrative and management staff could not enter the US.
Iran will start their World Cup journey against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. They will then play Belgium in the same city on June 21 and face Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
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