Iran's national football team will be allowed to enter the United States shortly before each of its group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The development comes amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the two countries currently engaged in heightened military and diplomatic hostilities.
While Iranian players have secured the visas required to compete in the tournament, reports indicate that not all members of the team's delegation were granted entry permits, sparking a visa dispute just days before the World Cup begins on Thursday.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Despite playing all three group-stage matches in the United States, Iran has chosen Tijuana, Mexico, as its base throughout the tournament.
According to Amir Mehdi Alavi, spokesperson for the Iranian Football Federation, the team will travel to the United States only shortly before each fixture.
“In accordance with FIFA’s programme, the team delegation will travel to the United States on a charter flight,” Alavi said in a statement carried by Iran’s ISNA news agency.
He explained that the squad would arrive one day before its opening match against New Zealand and two days before its subsequent games against Belgium and Egypt.
The visa issue has added another layer of complexity to Iran's participation in the tournament, which is expected to attract global attention both on and off the pitch.
Meanwhile, Iran's Sports Minister, Ahmad Donyamali, warned against the display of symbols or flags other than those representing the Islamic Republic of Iran during matches.
“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,” Donyamali was quoted as saying by Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
He further stated that tournament organisers would be responsible for addressing any such incidents.
Iran is scheduled to begin its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. The team will then face Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 before concluding its group-stage fixtures against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The tournament marks another significant appearance for Iran on football’s biggest stage, though geopolitical tensions continue to cast a shadow over the team's participation.
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