FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom said on May 17 that a meeting with Iran Football Federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj in Istanbul, Turkey, was 'very positive' and the two sides had an open exchange on operational matters related to the 2026 World Cup.
'We had an excellent and constructive meeting with the Iran Football Federation. We are working closely together and very much look forward to welcoming them to the FIFA World Cup,' Grafstrom told Reuters.
Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup (June 11 to July 19) has been in doubt since the United States and Israel began strikes on Iran on February 28, sparking a regional conflict. The Iranian team is scheduled to play all three group-stage matches on U.S. soil.
Earlier, an FFIRI delegation led by Taj was denied entry into Canada upon arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport despite holding valid visas, causing them to miss the FIFA Congress in Vancouver in early May. In 2024, Canada listed Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a 'terrorist organization,' and Canadian authorities said Taj was denied entry due to suspected links to the IRGC.
The incident raised concerns that some members of the Iranian delegation could face issues entering the United States, which co-hosts the World Cup with Canada and Mexico.
Taj said FFIRI raised 10 issues and FIFA offered solutions for each. 'I am satisfied that they listened to Iran. Hopefully, our national team can go to the U.S. for the World Cup without any problems and achieve good results,' he said.
Iran had previously requested to move its group-stage matches to Mexico, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino declined. The Iranian team will leave Tehran for a training camp in Turkey on Monday (May 19) before heading to its base at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, in early June.
Iran will begin its World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, followed by matches against Belgium and Egypt in Group G.
