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FIFA Watches… Dangerous Development That Could Derail Iran’s World Cup Participation
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The Situation Has Become Critical
In a worrying turn that could seriously jeopardize Iran’s presence at the 2026 World Cup, the Iranian Football Federation has revealed that the United States has yet to issue any entry visas for members of the national team, despite the tournament starting in less than a month.
In sharp remarks to Iran’s “Nasim” radio station, Mehdi Taj, head of the Iranian Football Federation, expressed deep concern over the unjustified delay, stating: “US authorities have not issued a single visa for any player or delegation member as of now, and the process is taking an unusually long time for no clear reason.”
Training Camp in Turkey and Anxious Waiting
The Iranian national team is set to travel to Turkey at the end of this week for a 15-day preparatory camp, attempting to continue preparations despite the uncertainty surrounding their participation.
Federation officials hope to find a decisive solution during the Turkish camp before the crisis escalates into a full-blown sports and diplomatic disaster.
Taj confirmed he is eagerly seeking meetings with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Secretary General Mattias Grafström to discuss this thorny issue and push for an urgent resolution.
Criticism of FIFA and Strict Iranian Conditions
Taj also directed sharp criticism at FIFA, accusing the international body of failing to protect the Iranian team’s rights and lacking effective intervention to resolve the crisis.
Tehran has gone further by setting strict conditions for its participation in the tournament, including guarantees that no political comments or messages be directed at the team or federation during matches—a clear reference to incidents during the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Matches on US Soil and a Rejected Request
Iran is scheduled to play all its Group 7 matches on US soil, facing New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt.
Iran had formally requested to relocate its matches from the United States to Mexico, but FIFA firmly rejected the request, further heightening tensions.