Iran expect to hear about US World Cup visas this week

ANTALYA, Turkiye: Iran will have an answer from US authorities over their World Cup visa applications “this week,” their football federation vice president Mehdi Mohammad Nabi said on Friday.

The Iranian World Cup squad will be based in Mexico during the tournament in North America, but all three of their group stage matches are due to be held in the United States.

The two countries have been at war since the US and Israel began bombing Iran at the end of February, although currently a fragile ceasefire is being observed.

The war has led to uncertainty over whether or not Iran’s footballers would receive visas to play at the tournament in the US.

“We have sent an email to the FIFA asking about the status of the visas... and FIFA replied to us that the results would be communicated this week,” Nabi said through an interpreter after Iran beat Gambia 3-1 in a World Cup warm-up match in Turkiye.

Iran will play another friendly against Mali in Antalya next Thursday and begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on June 16 in Los Angeles.

They will play further group matches against Belgium, also in LA, and Egypt in Seattle.