&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Iran confirms US travel plan ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 opener amid visa dispute")
Iran's Football Federation on Tuesday announced the national team's group-stage schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins under challenging circumstances for the Islamic Republic. Although Iranian players secured visas required to enter the United States and compete in group-stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, several members of the team's delegation were reportedly denied entry permits.
The visa controversy surfaced just days before the 2026 World Cup, which kicks off on Thursday and is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Despite all three group-stage matches taking place in the United States, Iran will base its squad in Tijuana, Mexico, throughout the tournament. "In accordance with FIFA's programme, the team delegation will travel to the United States on a charter flight," the Iranian federation's spokesperson Amir Mehdi Alavi said in a statement carried by Iran's ISNA news agency.
"The team will travel to the host city one day before the match against New Zealand, and for the following two matches, we will be at the host venue two days before the game," he added. Meanwhile, Iran's Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali warned against the display of unauthorized symbols or slogans during matches.
"If, in the stadiums where we play, we see any flag or symbol other than that of the Islamic Republic of Iran, or if norm-breaking slogans are chanted, the team official will certainly have a duty to stop the match," he was quoted by Iran's official IRNA news agency as saying. "It is the responsibility of the organisers to rectify the situation," he added.
Iran's World Cup preparations have been overshadowed by visa-related difficulties, with Tehran claiming that around 15 administrative and management personnel from its delegation have been unable to obtain entry into the United States. Iran will begin its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. The team will then face Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 before concluding the group stage against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
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How to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 in India
You can watch FIFA 2026 on Zee’s new Unite8 Sports network (Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2, and Unite8 Sports 2 HD). Multiple group-stage matches taking place simultaneously will be aired across the four channels with English and Hindi feeds. All games will also be streamed live on the Zee5 app and website.
Link: https://www.zee5.com/
