2026-06-05T21:23:32+00:00
Shafaq News- Washington
US authorities have granted visas to Iran’s national football team ahead
of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, resolving a period of uncertainty just 10 days
before the team’s opening match, a White House official told Reuters on Friday.
The delays in visa approvals prompted Iran to relocate its training base
from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, where the national team is scheduled to arrive
on June 7.
Iran will open its Group G campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles
on June 15, before facing Belgium in the same city. The team will then conclude
its group-stage schedule against Egypt in Seattle.
Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed lawmakers
that individuals linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
would not be permitted to join the country’s World Cup delegation.
The tournament takes place against the backdrop of ongoing tensions
between Washington and Tehran, marking the first World Cup since its inception
in 1930 in which a host nation is expected to welcome a country with which it
is in active conflict.
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