Iran to travel to US day before its first World Cup match

AI Summary

Iran’s football team will travel to the United States a day before their first match in the 2026 World Cup, amid ongoing visa issues for some delegation members. The tournament, hosted by the US, Mexico, and Canada, faces diplomatic tension with delays in visa processing despite players receiving their travel permits.

Iran to travel to US day before its first World Cup match Iran's football federation announced on Tuesday its national team's schedule for the group stage of the World Cup, a tournament that is beginning under difficult circumstances for the Islamic republic. While the players obtained the visas necessary to enter the United States and play their group-stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, not all delegation members received them. The dispute erupted just days before the 2026 World Cup kicks off on Thursday. The tournament is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. "In accordance with FIFA's programme, the team delegation will travel to the United States on a charter flight," the Iranian federation's spokesperson Amir Mehdi Alavi said in a statement carried by ISNA.