Iran's national football team has received visas for its World Cup preparations in Mexico, but the US visas needed for its group-stage matches have yet to be finalized, Iranian sports outlet Varzesh 3 reported on Tuesday.
The visa documents for Iran's delegation have been delivered to Iran's embassy in Ankara, the report said.
Last month, Reuters reported, citing an Iranian football federation official that the team attended visa appointments in Ankara.
Varzesh 3 said the visa issue had been one of the main concerns for Iran's football federation in recent months and had led to the team's camp being moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday his country is determined to prevent individuals affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from entering the country as part of Iran's delegation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Iran is grouped with New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, with its matches scheduled for June 16, June 21 and June 27.
Iran began its current training camp in Antalya, Turkey, on May 18 and beat Gambia 3-1 in a friendly last Friday.
The camp is scheduled to end on Thursday with a match against Mali before the team prepares to travel to Mexico, Varzesh 3 said.
