For most World Cup teams, the first battle is tactical. For Iran, it may begin at immigration.

Team Melli, Iran’s national football side, are preparing for the 2026 World Cup with a problem that goes far beyond formations, fitness and squad balance. They need to play all three group matches in the United States. Yet their base is now set for Mexico.

That makes visas more than paperwork. They could shape the rhythm of Iran’s tournament.

Iran football federation president Mehdi Taj has said the federation expects FIFA to help secure multiple-entry visas for the United States. The point is simple. Iran’s players must be able to enter the US for matches, leave for Mexico, and return again if needed.

Taj said FIFA is expected to deliver a multiple-entry visa arrangement so players can enter the United States and return to Mexico. His comments were carried in a video broadcast by Iranian media on Thursday.

For Indian readers used to World Cup drama on the pitch, this is a reminder of something less glamorous. In a tournament spread across three countries, travel rules can become a sporting issue.

Iran had initially planned to base themselves in Tucson, Arizona, during the tournament. That would have placed the team inside the United States, closer to two of their group fixtures in Los Angeles.

But the federation later shifted the training camp to Tijuana in Mexico. Taj had earlier said the move was meant to avoid possible complications linked to US visas. It would also allow the squad to fly directly to Mexico on Iran Air.

On Thursday, he made the new plan sound settled. “It is certain now that we will go to Mexico. The team is preparing,” Taj said.

The football logic is easy to understand. A World Cup base is not just a hotel and training ground. It is where a team controls sleep, meals, recovery, security, family movement, media access and daily routines.

Small disruptions matter at this level. A delayed flight, a visa uncertainty, or a late change in border procedure can disturb preparation. Coaches hate uncertainty because it eats into planning time.

Iran’s Group G schedule makes the travel issue sharper.

They open against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. They then face Belgium in the same city. Their final group match is against Egypt in Seattle.

That means Iran must manage movement between Mexico and the United States during a World Cup watched closely across the Middle East, South Asia and the Iranian diaspora.

For fans, the story will feel different depending on where they sit. Supporters in Iran will focus on whether their team arrives ready. Iranian fans in the US will watch the visa process nervously because it affects the team’s presence and mood.

For Gulf-based fans, including many in the UAE, there is another layer. Iran’s football story has long travelled through Dubai, Doha and other regional hubs. Players, supporters, broadcasters and sponsors often move through the Gulf football economy even when the tournament itself is far away.

That is why this is not only a US-Iran issue. It touches the wider business of global sport.

The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. That format expands the tournament’s commercial reach, but also increases operational complexity. Teams must deal with different border systems, travel distances and host-city logistics.

For a team such as Iran, that complexity meets politics.

Iran’s participation had been uncertain for months against the backdrop of the Middle East war triggered by the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran on February 28. Football rarely stays sealed off from such events. National teams carry flags, public emotion and diplomatic tension wherever they go.

FIFA usually wants teams to compete without political barriers interrupting the tournament. But the governing body also has to work with host-country rules. That is where Taj’s comments matter.

By saying Iran expects FIFA to facilitate multiple-entry visas, the federation is putting the matter in football’s international machinery. It is asking for predictability before the tournament begins.

For the players, the request is practical. They need to know where they sleep, when they travel, and how they prepare between matches. For staff, it affects medical planning, kit movement, security coordination and recovery schedules.

For sponsors and broadcasters, it affects confidence. Nobody wants a World Cup storyline dominated by access problems when the pitch should be the centre of attention.

Then there is Sardar Azmoun, Iran’s star striker, whose situation has added another sensitive strand.

Taj said on Thursday he was not aware of Azmoun’s situation. The forward was left out of the initial squad list prepared by the team’s manager.

Azmoun is not a fringe player. He has scored 57 goals for Iran and has played for major European clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and AS Roma. He currently plays and lives in Dubai.

His omission matters because Iran need attacking quality in a tough group. Belgium offer elite European pedigree. Egypt bring a familiar regional challenge. New Zealand may look more manageable on paper, but opening games can punish any team that starts slowly.

Azmoun’s case is also politically loaded. He had previously voiced support for recent anti-government protests. Iranian state media criticised him, including accusations of treason after a photograph published in March showed him with Dubai’s ruler.

On Monday, an Iranian vice president called for Azmoun to be brought back into the national team. In a recent Instagram post, Azmoun said he had once rejected a very large financial offer from another country and described himself as a son of Iran.

That line will resonate with many football fans. Players often live global careers while carrying deep national identities. In the Gulf, where footballers move between leagues, cultures and political expectations, that tension is familiar.

For Indian followers of international football, Iran’s story has several entry points.

There is the football question. Can Iran prepare smoothly enough to compete in Group G? There is the travel question. Will the visa process allow the team to move without friction? There is the human question. Will Azmoun return, and if he does, under what emotional weight?

There is also a regional question. The Gulf is increasingly central to football’s movement of players, money and attention. Dubai, in this case, is part of the personal and professional map of Iran’s most recognisable striker.

World Cups often sell themselves as pure sporting festivals. But every tournament is also built on airports, consulates, hotels, politics and contracts. Iran’s case shows how quickly those hidden systems can become visible.

For now, Taj’s message is clear. Iran will prepare in Mexico. They expect FIFA to help solve the US entry issue. And Team Melli are moving ahead with the tournament plan.

The next test is whether the paperwork keeps pace with the football. If it does, Iran’s story can return to the field. If it does not, the border may become their first opponent before New Zealand ever kick a ball in Los Angeles.