The Iranian national football team applied for visas to Canada on Thursday, and some players also applied for visas to the USA in Ankara.
They jointly organize the World Cup United States, Canada and Mexicoand Iran will play all three group stage games in the United States of America.
Iran plays its first match in the group with New Zealand June 15, then the game with Belgium On June 21 in Los Angeles, and five days later, S Egypt in Seattle. Iranian players will need a visa to Canada if they advance to the knockout stage. The entire team attended Canadian visa appointments, while some players, who did not apply for US visas before the start of the war in Iran, also applied in Ankara, an Iran Football Association official said.
Some Iranian players based abroad joined the team in Ankara before traveling to the team’s training camp in Antalya.
Iran is preparing for the World Cup in camp in Turkey after Iran’s domestic league was suspended due to US and Israeli strikes on the country that began on February 28, leaving many players out of shape.
The team trained in Antalya earlier this week, and the menu Amir Ghalenoei is trying to prepare his squad after most of the domestic players spent seven weeks without competitive football during the suspension of the Iranian league.
Iran qualified early for the 48-team World Cup, but preparations have been overshadowed by uncertainty over travel and security arrangements following clashes between Iran, the US and Israel.
The Iranian Football Association previously said that it would applications for US representation visas to be processed in Turkey after discussions with FIFA.
Iran are scheduled to play a friendly against Gambia on May 29 before Ghalenoei names his final 26-man World Cup squad by FIFA’s June 1 deadline.
(Hina | Photo: X)
