American ambassador verifies Iran soccer players received US entry permits for international tournament

Iran's national football team was spotted posing on the pitch ahead of a friendly match against Costa Rica in Antalya, southern Turkey, on March 31, 2026, with FIFA's president confirming to AFP that the team will participate in the World Cup despite the ongoing Middle East war.

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The Iranian football squad has been granted visas to compete in the World Cup, as confirmed by US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack in a message on X on Friday, praising the US Embassy team in Ankara for their efforts in processing the visas.

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Tom Barrack expressed his pride in the team's work, stating that "Sports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around the world" in a comment accompanying a news report about the visa approval for Iran's World Cup players.

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The Iranian team is scheduled to depart from Turkey for Spain on Saturday, before proceeding to their base camp in Mexico, which has also issued visas to the squad, allowing them to be based there during the tournament in North America.

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Although the team will be based in Mexico, all three of their group stage matches are set to take place in the United States, with the initial plan to base the team in the US having been changed due to tensions between the two countries over the war in the Middle East.

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The US and Iran have been at war since the end of February, when the US and Israel began bombing Iran, although a fragile ceasefire is currently in place.

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Iran's World Cup campaign is slated to begin on June 16 with a match against New Zealand in Los Angeles, followed by further group matches against Belgium in LA and Egypt in Seattle.