The Iranian national football team has officially confirmed its participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and has departed Turkey for Mexico after all players and officials received approval for their US entry visas.
The tournament is scheduled to begin on June 11 at the historic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Iran will start its World Cup campaign in Group G, with its first match set to take place in the United States on June 15. The team’s remaining group-stage games will also be played in various US host cities.
Although political concerns and public discussions surrounded Iran’s participation earlier, the team will establish its main training camp in Tijuana, Mexico. Players and staff will travel to the United States for their scheduled matches during the competition.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the largest edition in the tournament’s history. A total of 48 teams will compete, marking a significant increase from the 32-team format used in previous World Cups.
The participating nations have been divided into 12 groups, labeled from Group A to Group L. Each group consists of four teams, and every team will play three matches during the group stage.
According to FIFA’s tournament format, the top two teams from each group will automatically qualify for the knockout stage, resulting in 24 teams advancing. They will be joined by the eight best third-placed teams, creating a 32-team knockout round.
From that stage onward, the tournament will follow a single-elimination format consisting of the Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place play-off, and the final.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. This will be the first time in FIFA history that three countries have hosted the tournament together.
Matches will be played across 16 cities. The United States will host most of the fixtures, including all games from the quarter-finals onwards and the final. Mexico will host the opening match in Mexico City, while Canada will stage several group-stage and knockout matches.
The tournament will run from June 11 to July 19, featuring 104 matches. Teams that reach the final will play eight matches, one more than in previous World Cup editions.
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