Iran Receives Mexican Visas — Squad Departure From Antalya to Mexico Moved Up to June 6; US Visas Still Not Issued With 8 Days to Kickoff

Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj confirmed on June 3 that Mexico has issued visas for Iran's entire World Cup delegation — secured through coordination between the Turkish and Mexican embassies, as Iran has no direct diplomatic channels with Mexico. The breakthrough on Mexican documentation allowed Taj to announce that Iran's squad will now depart from Antalya, Turkey on June 6 at 3:20 PM local time — a day earlier than the June 7 departure originally announced on June 2 — flying via Spain before proceeding to Tijuana, where Iran's base camp at Centro Xoloitzcuintle is already fully operational. The squad has been based in Antalya throughout the pre-tournament warm-up period, having played a series of closed-door preparatory matches in Turkey. US entry visas remain unissued as of June 3 — with 8 days to Iran's June 15 Group G opener vs New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The US State Department has given no confirmed timeline. Iran's squad submitted their passports to FIFA's designated channel with the US embassy in coordination with the Turkish authorities. If the passports are processed and visas stamped before June 15, Iran will commute across the US-Mexico border daily from Tijuana for Group G matches at SoFi Stadium (June 15 vs New Zealand, June 21 vs Belgium) and Lumen Field, Seattle (June 26 vs Egypt). The accelerated departure from Antalya is designed to give Iran more time to settle at Tijuana and address any final visa logistics before their first match.