The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) has officially confirmed it will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, though the decision remains contingent on the United States and Canada meeting a strict set of “10 conditions.”
Mehdi Taj, the FFIRI president, recently stated that the team’s involvement hinges on ironclad guarantees that every member of the delegation—including those with prior military service in the IRGC—be granted entry visas.
This diplomatic friction follows a recent incident in Toronto where Taj and several colleagues were reportedly “insulted” and questioned by Canadian border officials, leading the delegation to abandon the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver.
In Washington, President Donald Trump has offered a tepid endorsement of Iran’s inclusion, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “Let them play,” following personal discussions with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
However, the U.S. administration remains cautious, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning that Tehran should not “test the will of the United States” amid broader regional tensions and the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist group.
Iran is scheduled to play its Group G fixtures against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt on U.S. soil, with the federation demanding heightened security at airports and hotels to prevent potential protests by the diaspora.
FFIRI officials have also requested that press conferences be restricted to “technical football matters,” though this mandate is expected to face significant pushback from international media outlets.
With the tournament set to kick off on June 11, FIFA continues to emphasize football’s power to unite, even as the “Team Melli” prepare to travel under the most scrutinized security conditions in sporting history.