The Iranian national football team has applied for Canadian visas and some players have also requested US visas. The team will play all three group stage matches in the United States, starting with New Zealand on June 15th, followed by Belgium on June 21st in Los Angeles, and finally Egypt on June 26th in Seattle. If they advance to the knockout stage, players will need Canadian visas as well.

Visa Challenges

The entire team attended visa application sessions for Canada, while some players who did not previously apply for US visas due to the conflict with Iran also submitted requests in Ankara. Some players based abroad joined the team in Ankara before traveling to the team's training camp in Antalya, Turkey.

Preparation Amidst Uncertainty

The Iranian team is preparing for the World Cup in a training camp in Turkey after the Iranian domestic league was suspended following American and Israeli attacks on the country starting on April 28th. This left many players out of shape. The team has been training in Antalya, and coach Amir Ghalenoei is trying to prepare the team after most domestic players have been without competitive football for seven weeks due to the league suspension.

Iran qualified early for this World Cup, featuring 48 teams, but their preparations have been hampered by uncertainty over travel and security arrangements due to tensions between Iran, the US, and Israel. The Iranian Football Federation previously stated that visa applications for the US team would be processed in Turkey after discussions with FIFA. Iran was scheduled to play a friendly against Gambia on May 29th, before coach Ghalenoei names his final 26-man roster for the World Cup by FIFA's deadline of June 1st.