Iran defeated Mali in their last official match before leaving for Mexico, home of the 2026 World Cup.
Published June 5, 2026
Iran defeated Mali 2-0 in a friendly in Turkiye and will head to their World Cup home this weekend, even though uncertainty still clouds their participation in the tournament.
Goals from midfielder Saeed Ezatolahi and right-back Ramin Rezaean on either side of halftime on Thursday helped Team Melli to three wins and one loss in four friendlies played this year in the Turkish resort city of Antalya.
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The friendly is the only competitive soccer game for Iranian-based players since the domestic league was suspended following US and Israeli airstrikes on the Islamic Republic in late February that sparked a regional war.
Officials confirmed this week that the team has received visas to travel to Mexico and is scheduled to leave Tolkien on Saturday for the tournament’s base in the border city of Tijuana.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to host the team after being told that U.S. officials did not want Iran to remain at its original base in Arizona during the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19.
But the team has not yet received the visas it needs to enter the United States for group games against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation of Iran (FFIRI), told Iranian media this week that US visas are a major concern for the federation as Iran’s tournament opener against New Zealand approaches on June 15.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that while there was “no problem” with Iranian troops entering the country, the US government would not allow officials or personnel with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to accompany them.
The United States and Canada, which co-host the World Cup with Mexico, classify the Revolutionary Guards as a “terrorist organization.”
Taj was denied entry to Canada to attend the FIFA General Assembly in late April because of his ties to the elite military.
