(Adnkronos) – Iran has not yet received any US visas to allow the national team to participate in the upcoming World Cup, which will be hosted next month by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This was stated by the president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, quoted by the Irna news agency. “Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow we will have a decisive meeting with FIFA. They must provide us with guarantees because the visa issue has not yet been resolved – Taj said – We have not received any clarification from the counterpart on who has obtained the visa. So far, no visa has been issued.”
According to the official, the players should travel to the Turkish capital Ankara for fingerprinting, a procedure necessary for issuing entry documents to the United States. However, the Iranian federation is trying to transfer operations to Antalya, a closer and logistically simpler tourist resort to reach.
Despite the current difficulties, yesterday Iran organized an official farewell ceremony for the national team ahead of their participation in the World Cup. The Iranian selection, known as Team Melli, is expected to be based in Tucson, Arizona, during the World Cup. Iran’s debut in Group G is scheduled for June 15 in Los Angeles against New Zealand. Subsequently, the team will face Belgium and Egypt.
