Mehdi Taj, president of Iran’s football federation, said the governing body expects FIFA to arrange multiple-entry visas to allow the national team to travel between the United States and Mexico during the 2026 World Cup. Taj made the remarks in a video message as Iran finalizes preparations for the tournament and sorts out logistical arrangements for the team known as Team Melli.
Iranian football federation president speaks at a podium flanked by the Iranian and FIFA flags, calling on FIFA to facilitate multi-entry US visas for the team ahead of the tournament.
"FIFA is expected to deliver a multiple-entry visa so that the players can enter (the United States) and return (to Mexico)," Taj said. The federation is seeking a solution that would allow players and staff to cross the border for matches without needing separate single-entry clearances for each transit between the two host countries. The multi-entry visa request is presented as a practical step to preserve the team’s mobility and the planned schedule of training and matches.
Team Melli initially planned to base itself in Tucson, Arizona, for the World Cup, but the federation later announced a change of plans and moved the squad’s training camp to Tijuana, Mexico. The shift in base camp reflects an effort to manage travel logistics and avoid what Taj described as potential complications tied to securing U.S. visas for the delegation. The federation has indicated that operating from Mexico will also permit direct travel on Iran Air flights to and from the training hub.
Iran’s national football team (Team Melli) pose together in their match kit as the squad prepares for the 2026 World Cup amid discussions over US multi-entry visas.
Taj stated plainly that "It is certain now that we will go to Mexico. The team is preparing," underscoring the federation’s intent to proceed with the Tijuana camp while managing match commitments in the United States. Iran is scheduled to play all three of its Group G fixtures on U.S. soil: the campaign opens against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, followed by a match against Belgium also in Los Angeles, and the group-stage meeting with Egypt in Seattle. The federation’s request to FIFA for multi-entry visas is meant to cover these movements between training base and match locations.
Iran’s participation in the tournament had been uncertain for several months amid regional tensions. The federation and public statements framed the uncertainty in the context of the broader regional situation that intensified after the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, developments that fed concerns about travel, security and diplomatic complications for the squad ahead of the World Cup.
The squad list announced by Iran’s manager omitted leading striker Sardar Azmoun, and Taj said he was "not aware of the situation regarding Sardar Azmoun." Azmoun, who has scored 57 goals for the national team and has played professionally for clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma, has been a figure of recent controversy at home. He has voiced support for recent anti-government protests and has been the subject of criticism in state media; a photograph published in March that showed him alongside the ruler of Dubai prompted accusations of treason in some outlets.
Calls for Azmoun’s reinstatement have surfaced from within political ranks as well. An Iranian vice president publicly urged that Azmoun be returned to the national team earlier in the week. In response to questions about his stance and affiliations, Azmoun posted on Instagram that he had once rejected "a very large financial offer from another country" and described himself as "a son of [Iran]." He currently plays and resides in Dubai, where state and media scrutiny over his actions and associations has figured in the surrounding debate about his national-team status.
The federation’s immediate priorities remain clear: prepare the squad for competition, establish a stable training environment in Mexico, and secure the travel documents necessary to move between the training base and U.S. match venues. With the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, the federation has framed the multi-entry visa request as a practical measure to ensure that players and staff can fulfil fixtures and return to their Tijuana camp without repeated visa obstacles. Taj’s public comments signalled the federation’s expectation that FIFA will take a role in facilitating those arrangements ahead of Iran’s opening match in Los Angeles on 15 June.