Iran's national football team held visa appointments in Ankara on Thursday as it moves through final logistical steps before the 2026 World Cup. According to an official from Iran's football federation, every member of the squad applied for Canadian visas in the Turkish capital, and several players who had not earlier sought U.S. entry also filed U.S. visa applications in Ankara.
The 2026 tournament will be hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Iran's group-stage schedule places all three of its matches inside the United States: a match against New Zealand on June 15 followed by a June 21 fixture with Belgium in Los Angeles, and then a game with Egypt in Seattle five days later. While group play is set in the United States, the team would need access to Canada should it advance to the knockout rounds.
The federation official said some foreign-based Iranian players linked up with the squad in Ankara before transferring to the team's pre-tournament training base in Antalya on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. The team has been conducting a pre-tournament camp in Turkey after the domestic Iranian league was suspended following U.S. and Israeli strikes that began on February 28. That suspension left many domestic-based players without competitive matches for seven weeks, a gap that coaching staff have been trying to address.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei has overseen training in Antalya earlier this week, working to rebuild match readiness after the prolonged interruption to the domestic season. The federation had previously indicated that U.S. visa applications for the team would be processed in Turkey following discussions with FIFA.
Iran secured early qualification for the expanded 48-team World Cup. Nonetheless, preparations have been clouded by uncertainty over travel and security arrangements linked to the wider conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, a factor the federation official acknowledged.
Before the tournament squad is finalized, Iran is scheduled to play a friendly against Gambia on May 29. Coach Ghalenoei is expected to submit his final 26-man roster by FIFA's June 1 deadline.
Contextual notes: The team’s visa interviews in Ankara are part of logistical steps required for travel to venues in North America and reflect efforts to mitigate disruptions stemming from the domestic league suspension. The preparations highlight the administrative and operational challenges national teams can face when external events interrupt domestic competitions.