Iran World Cup squad members apply for US and Canada visas in Türkiye
Iran's World Cup squad of 23 players said most of its members have travelled to Istanbul to apply for US and Canada visas through third-country consulates, with the closure of direct Tehran-Washington diplomatic channels complicating the process.
Iran's football federation said at a press conference in Tehran on Thursday that 17 of the 23 players named in the country's 2026 FIFA World Cup squad have travelled to Türkiye to apply for US and Canada visas. Iran is set to play group-stage matches in Toronto and Vancouver as well as Seattle and Los Angeles.
Diplomatic relations between the US and Iran have been severed since 1980, and visa processing for either country's nationals typically runs through Türkiye or the United Arab Emirates. Iran's federation said it expects the process to 'unfold fairly, in the spirit of sport'. A US State Department spokesperson said athlete (P-1) visas are evaluated under a separate category and that the Iran war has not altered visa policy for sportspeople.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has previously urged the Trump administration to ensure that athletes from all participating countries receive visas. Last month, Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei met Turkish Football Federation President Mehmet Büyükekşi in Istanbul to request support for a training camp. The squad is expected to base its pre-tournament camp in Antalya throughout the summer.
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