Iran’s national football team has obtained the necessary visas to set up its World Cup base in Mexico, but with the tournament fast approaching it still lacks authorisation to enter the United States, where all three of its group-stage matches are scheduled to be played. The development, confirmed by Iranian state television on Wednesday, highlights the logistical and political obstacles confronting the team as it prepares for the 2026 finals.

The Iranian squad has been in a training camp in Antalya, Turkey, since mid‑May, and the Mexican visas were issued in just 48 hours without the players needing to appear in person or provide fingerprints, according to Tehran’s ambassador to Turkey. The original plan had been to hold the pre‑tournament base in Tucson, Arizona, but that was abandoned after US‑Iran tensions escalated sharply. In February, American and Israeli forces struck Iranian targets, and in the months since, Washington has kept Tehran’s footballers in visa limbo. The decision to relocate to Tijuana was taken in consultation with FIFA, and Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, personally endorsed the arrangement, framing it as a sporting gesture unconnected to political disputes.

From Antalya, the team is expected to fly to Spain this weekend before heading to Mexico, where their base will be a short hop from the southern US border. Their opening match is against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, followed by Belgium on 21 June and Egypt on 26 June. The co‑hosted North American tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July, yet Iran’s presence remains provisional: no US visas have been issued, and there is no guarantee they will arrive before kick‑off.

Viewed from Washington, the visa stand‑off reflects a broader hardening of policy towards Tehran, shaped by the military exchanges and recent congressional moves to curb the president’s war powers. From Tehran’s perspective, the delay is seen as a deliberate attempt to disrupt the team’s campaign and isolate the Islamic Republic. Mexican officials have sought to project neutrality, insisting that hosting the Iranian squad is purely a matter of fulfilling FIFA’s logistical requirements. Analysts in London note that while Iran managed to navigate similar tensions during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the direct US involvement in the current tournament raises the stakes considerably, making the visa question a test of sports diplomacy.

As the tournament’s opening day nears, the Iranian federation remains publicly optimistic, but the prospect of a team playing matches in a country that has not yet granted them entry is unprecedented in modern World Cup history. The coming days will reveal whether quiet diplomacy can break the deadlock or whether the 2026 finals will proceed with one of the 48 participants stranded at the border.