Many players submitted visa applications directly to the U.S. Embassy in Ankara ahead of training camp.
Published May 21, 2026
The Iranian soccer team attended a visa appointment in Turkiye ahead of the World Cup, with the entire team applying for Canadian visas and some players also submitting applications to enter the United States.
An Iranian Football Federation official told Reuters that a number of players had submitted their applications on Thursday in the Turkish capital Ankara.
The entire team attended the Canadian visa appointment, but some players who had not applied for U.S. visas before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February also submitted visa applications directly to the embassy.
Some Iranian players based abroad joined the team in Ankara and then moved to the team training camp in Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkiye, the official said.
The World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Iran scheduled to play all three group stage matches on the West Coast of the United States.
Iran is scheduled to play New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium on June 21, and Egypt in Seattle five days later. If you want to advance to the final tournament, you will need access to Canada.
Iran is holding a pre-tournament camp in Turkiye following the suspension of the Iranian domestic league in March, and many players lack the physical strength to play.
The squad trained in Antalya earlier this week as coach Amir Galenoei prepares his team after most of the country-based players spent seven weeks without playing during the Iranian league’s suspension.
Iran qualified early for the expanded 48-team World Cup, but preparations have been overshadowed by uncertainty over travel and security arrangements following the US and Israel’s war against Iran.
The Iranian Football Federation previously announced that the team’s U.S. visa application would be processed in Turkiye after consultation with FIFA.
Iran is scheduled to play Gambia in a friendly on May 29, after which Ghalenoei will name the final 26-man World Cup squad by FIFA’s June 1 deadline.
