Visa saga and training ground shift
Iran’s World Cup‑bound soccer team is on the move, leaving its temporary base in Turkey’s Mediterranean resort of Antalya for a new training hub in Mexico’s border city of Tijuana.
The relocation comes after a prolonged visa odyssey that has seen several Iranian Football Federation officials, including senior figure Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, still waiting for U.S. entry permits, a delay that is amplified by the broader geopolitical strain between Iran, Israel and the United States.
U.S. diplomatic channels have granted visas to the entire squad through Mexico’s embassy in Ankara, but the process was not without friction; some applicants were rejected for having supplied misleading documentation, and the team’s original plan to train in Tucson, Arizona, was abandoned after the State Department raised concerns.
Coach Mehdi Taj confirmed that every player and staff member has now been cleared, yet the episode underscores the fragile intersection of sport and politics, especially as former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urged Iran to stay out of the tournament.
On the field, Iran’s opening fixtures are set against New Zealand and Belgium in California, with a subsequent clash against Egypt in Seattle, a schedule that places the team in the western half of the United States and raises the prospect of a potential showdown with the host nation in the round of 32.
The roster itself has been trimmed, with star forward Sardar Azmoun removed after a social‑media post that sparked controversy, while the squad includes 17 domestic players whose club seasons have been on hold since February, a detail highlighted by Iran’s sports minister earlier warnings about possible exclusion.
Despite the hurdles, the Iranian federation, led by its president Hedayat Mombeini, insists that the team will compete, framing the participation as a matter of national right and sporting ambition, a stance that continues to reverberate through both the sporting arena and the diplomatic corridors.