Iran National Football Team Cleared For US Entry After FIFA Assures World Cup Visas Amid Tensions

Iran’s men’s football team has been assured of United States visas for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, clearing doubts over participation following months of tension. The squad will be based in Tijuana in Mexico during the tournament, after FIFA approved Iran’s request to move its training camp from Arizona.

Iran’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali said FIFA president Gianni Infantino personally guaranteed that visa access would not block Iran’s involvement. The World Cup will be staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11, with Iran scheduled to play tournament matches on United States soil.

FIFA World Cup visas and regional tensions

Uncertainty around Iran’s World Cup plans had grown after strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran earlier in the year. Those attacks deepened the wider West Asia conflict, disrupted travel routes and complicated planning for sports delegations, including footballers and support staff heading to North America.

Donyamali told the Iranian news agency ISNA that FIFA had a duty to secure equal access for all qualified teams. "The FIFA president promised us that all our players would receive visas. There is no reason why our players shouldn't receive visas. I hope that all the conditions will be met so that the national team can participate in the tournament in a calm and orderly manner," Ahmad Donyamali was quoted as saying by ISNA.

FIFA World Cup visas and Iran’s training bases

Iran will split preparations between Turkey and Mexico before moving into the United States for matches. The national squad is currently training in Antalya in southern Turkey. Some footballers visited the United States embassy in Ankara on Thursday, where visa applications were lodged ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

The team will then shift to Tijuana, a Mexican border city, after FIFA backed Iran’s plan to move its main camp from Arizona. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that Mexico would host Iran’s base. The arrangement is designed to ease movement across the border under United States visa rules.

Donyamali said the tournament organisers were required to support every qualified side with entry documents for players and staff. "In Mexico, the Iranian national team is expected to obtain multiple-entry visas issued by the United States," Donyamali said, highlighting that these visas should allow smoother travel for training and matches.

At the FIFA Congress held in Vancouver in April, Infantino stated that Iran’s fixtures in the United States would proceed as planned. That declaration, combined with Mexico’s agreement to host the camp in Tijuana, has reduced concerns that diplomatic friction might disrupt Iran’s schedule or limit squad movement.

The main tournament structure remains unchanged, with joint hosting by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Key arrangements for Iran’s participation now centre on logistics rather than access. With visas promised, training under way in Antalya and a base planned in Tijuana, officials expect Iran to complete World Cup preparations despite the ongoing regional strain.