Iran’s national football team attended visa appointments in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday, ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The entire squad applied for Canadian visas, with some players also submitting applications for US entry.
The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Iran scheduled to play all three of their group-stage matches in the United States.
They are set to face New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June in Los Angeles, before taking on Egypt in Seattle five days later. Access to Canada would be required if they progress to the knockout rounds.
An Iranian football federation official confirmed the whole squad applied for Canadian visas. Some players who had not applied for US visas before the Iran war also submitted applications in Ankara.
Foreign-based Iranian players joined the squad in Ankara before travelling to the team’s training camp in Antalya on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, the official added.
Iran are holding a pre-tournament camp in Turkey after the domestic league was suspended following US and Israeli strikes on the country, which began on 28 February. This left many players short of match fitness.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei has been preparing his squad in Antalya, as most domestic-based players went seven weeks without competitive football during the league’s suspension.
Despite early qualification for the expanded 48-team World Cup, preparations have been overshadowed by uncertainty over travel and security arrangements following the conflict between Iran, the US, and Israel.
US president Donald Trump suggested back in March that it would not be appropriate for Iran to play in the World Cup “for their own life and safety”.
However, Fifa president Gianni Infantino has maintained that Iran will play in this summer’s tournament, with Trump then appearing to change his tune as he told reporters: “Let them play”.
Iran’s football federation had previously stated US visa applications for the team would be handled in Turkey after discussions with Fifa.
Iran are due to play Gambia in a friendly on 29 May before Ghalenoei names his final 26-man World Cup squad by Fifa’s 1 June deadline.
