June 9, 2026
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 — which is in open military conflict with Tehran — 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.
