Iran soccer team heads to Mexico camp amid US visa issues

The Iranian national football team will depart for its World Cup base camp in Mexico this weekend despite not having received visas for the United States, where it is scheduled to play its group stage matches. The team announced it will travel from its training camp in Antalya, Turkey, to Tijuana, Mexico, via Spain on Saturday, June 6.

With the tournament set to begin on June 11, the visa situation remains unresolved. Federation chief Mehdi Taj stated earlier this week that he expected Mexican visas to be issued imminently, after which U.S. visas would follow quickly. The federation has not confirmed whether any visas have been granted. Iran is drawn in Group G and is scheduled to play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, followed by a match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

The logistical challenges are unfolding against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers this week that while Iranian athletes are welcome to compete, the United States would not allow individuals with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to embed within the sports delegation. This follows an incident in...