Iran’s World Cup delegation must be granted multiple-entry visas for their matches in the United States, a senior official of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) stated. This announcement came two days after FIFA confirmed the team’s base camp relocation from the US to Mexico.
FFIRI president Mehdi Taj expressed on Wednesday his expectation that the US would issue visas for the World Cup squad and support staff ahead of the tournament, which commences in three weeks. “The US should provide all players with multiple-entry visas, as they will need to leave and re-enter the US numerous times,” Taj informed local reporters in Mashhad, northeastern Iran.
The Iranian squad has not yet received their US visas. Last week, several team members attended visa appointments in Turkiye, where they have been conducting their training. Players and staff who traveled from Iran to Turkiye applied for US visas. Additionally, those who had not applied before the onset of the war on Iran in February also submitted their visa applications in person at the embassy. Concurrently, the entire squad applied for Canadian visas, anticipating the possibility of Iran advancing to knockout stages held in Canada.
On February 28, the US and Israel initiated attacks on Iran, sparking a regional conflict that has now persisted for three months. Despite an existing ceasefire, the US conducted strikes on Iranian military sites on Wednesday. In retaliation, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched an attack on an “American airbase” in the region.
Iran’s team is scheduled to commence their World Cup campaign on June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, California, followed by a match against Belgium six days later. Their final Group G game will be against Egypt in Seattle, Washington state, on June 21.
On Monday, FIFA confirmed that Iran’s World Cup training base camp had been relocated from the US to Mexico at the team’s request. Iran had initially chosen a sports complex in Tucson, Arizona, as their national team’s base during the World Cup but subsequently requested a change. This week, when FIFA released the final list of team base camp locations, Iran was assigned Centro Xoloitzcuintle in Tijuana, Mexico, as their preferred site. According to Taj, Tijuana’s location, directly across the US-Mexico border from San Diego, could facilitate visa processes when the team needs to enter the United States.
Taj had initially announced the camp’s relocation on Saturday, prior to FIFA’s official confirmation. “All team base camps for participating countries in the World Cup must be approved by FIFA,” Taj stated. “Fortunately, following the requests we submitted and the meetings held with FIFA and World Cup officials in Istanbul, alongside yesterday’s webinar meeting in Tehran with the esteemed FIFA Secretary-General, our request to change the team’s base from the United States to Mexico was approved.”
The World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico, is scheduled from June 11 to July 19.
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