Last-minute visas and moving training camp: Iran's road to the World Cup

When Iran qualified for the World Cup on 25 March 2025, few could have imagined the challenges that lay ahead.

More than a year later, Iran's participation has become one of the most complex stories of the tournament - scheduled to play at a host nation whose joint-military strikes with Israel killed Iran's supreme leader and sparked a conflict which is ongoing.

Under this cloud of war, the Iranian football team faced numerous challenges, including where they would be based for the tournament, and if they could secure visas into the US.

Iran was one of the first teams to qualify for the tournament, and US visas for the players were only approved on Friday.

However, visas have been denied for several members of staff, including the head of Iran's football federation, Mehdi Taj.

The US State Department told the BBC that the visas required for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including those for players and essential support staff, had been issued. However, it added that it would not allow the Iranian team to "abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretences".

Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, says the national team has been notified that, under the conditions of its visas, players must enter and leave US territory on the same day as their matches.

Iran has moved its World Cup base camp from the United States to Tijuana, Mexico, amid the war and after Fifa approved the change. The team had originally planned to be based in Tucson, Arizona.