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Members of Iran's World Cup shot squad person been granted visas to the United States, 2 U.S. officials said, clearing them to participate the United States from their grooming basal successful Tijuana, Mexico, up of their archetypal 2 matches adjacent Los Angeles this month.
The team's information successful the World Cup has been analyzable by Iran's warfare with Israel and the United States. Problems with processing visas had earlier led Iran to determination its grooming basal from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, connected Mexico's borderline with California.
One U.S. authoritative said each players connected the Iranian squad were approved for visas and were successful the process of receiving them. A 2nd authoritative said visas had been issued for players, coaches, trainers and immoderate enactment staff. The officials spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorized to sermon the visas publicly.
The 2nd authoritative could not accidental if immoderate Iranian applicants had been denied. It was not instantly wide erstwhile the Iranian team's passports would beryllium returned to them to let them to travel, but the authoritative said it could beryllium arsenic aboriginal arsenic Friday (June 5, 2026) oregon Saturday (June 6, 2026).
The squad has been preparing for the World Cup astatine a grooming campy successful Antalya, Turkiye, earlier departing for Tijuana. The squad said it has already received visas from Mexico's embassy successful Ankara.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack credited the U.S. Embassy successful Ankara for processing visas for the Iranian team. “Sports transcends borders, and we look guardant to welcoming competitors and fans from astir the world,” Barrack wrote successful a societal media station Friday.
Iran plays its archetypal 2 games successful Inglewood, California, against New Zealand connected June 15 and Belgium six days later, past heads to Seattle to look Egypt connected June 26. Iran and the U.S. could conscionable successful the circular of 32 connected July 3 successful Arlington, Texas, if some teams spot 2nd successful their groups.
President Donald Trump successful March had discouraged Iran from participating successful the tournament, saying helium didn't deliberation it was “appropriate” and raising concerns implicit players' "life and safety."
A time later, Iran's nationalist squad pushed back, saying “no 1 tin exclude” it from playing.
Iran finalized its squad Monday (June 1, 2026), including 17 home-based players whose clubs person not played since February due to the fact that of the war. Star guardant Sardar Azmoun was dropped successful March, reportedly due to the fact that of a societal media station that angered Iranian authorities during the war.
Iran's Sports Minister said successful March that it would "not beryllium possible" for the squad to enactment successful the World Cup, but the republic's shot federation said successful May it was moving up with a team.
The federation had insisted that each players and unit beryllium granted visas, including those who had subject work successful the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
