Iran Demands FIFA Commitment After US Visa Denied

TEHRAN, FRIDAY – In less than a month, the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Cup will be held at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico. However, the fate of the Iranian national team's participation remains uncertain. Visa entry issues for the United States and Canada are the main obstacles to the participation of the seventh "Team Melli" in the grandest football tournament.

Although FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Iran will compete in the 2026 World Cup at the FIFA Congress held in late April in Vancouver, Canada, this has not yet facilitated the Iranian delegation's participation in the pre-tournament agenda.

This was evident at the FIFA Congress at the end of April, when the Chairman of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), Mehdi Taj, along with two other senior officials of FFIRI, were unable to pass through the immigration counter at Pearson Airport in Toronto, Canada. After being held for nearly two hours, Taj re-entered the airport terminal to return to Istanbul, Turkey, instead of continuing on a domestic flight to Vancouver.

Canadian Immigration Minister Lena Diab revealed that the visas of Taj and other members of the Iranian delegation were canceled while they were in the air before landing in Toronto. This occurred despite having received clearance to fly from Istanbul due to already possessing entry visas for Canada. This is suspected to be related to Taj's connections with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

"These individuals (FFIRI delegates) did not have the necessary status to enter Canada. Upon landing, they left the country and returned to their home countries," Diab said, as reported by CBC earlier this week.

Taj, along with the head coach of the Iranian national team, Amir Ghalenoei, was also unable to attend the draw for the qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Washington DC, United States, in December 2025, due to a visa application being denied by the US Government. Consequently, Iran became the only invited delegation that did not attend the two events.

Referring to several reports, the Iranian delegation was unable to enter Canada and the United States due to indications of having connections with the IRGC. Taj also admitted that he had previously served in the IRGC.

The problem is that the IRGC has been classified as a banned organization in Canada since 2024. The United States had already placed the IRGC on its blacklist in 2019.

As a result, the delegation and squad from Iran were able to enter Mexico freely. This is one of the three host countries for the 23rd edition of the World Cup.

We will communicate to FIFA the issues that concern us. If they can provide guarantees, then we will certainly participate in the 2026 World Cup.

That experience made Taj want to discuss the visa issue with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The plan for the FFIRI meeting with FIFA will be expedited this weekend. Previously, the invitation letter for the meeting signed by FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom stated that the crucial meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, would take place on May 20.

In that meeting, Taj emphasized that he would request FIFA to ensure that all players and officials of Team Melli do not face questions regarding their ties to the IRGC when entering the United States. The Iranian squad, he stated, would leave if the players and officials encountered such questions at airport immigration upon their arrival at the end of May.

"We will tell FIFA what concerns us. If they can guarantee it, we will definitely participate (in the 2026 World Cup)," Taj said, as reported by Iranian national television, IRIB, on Wednesday (May 6, 2026) local time or Thursday (May 7, 2026) WIB.

"There is no one who has the right to insult us or the pillars of our system. If they do not respect that and continue to ask such questions, we will make a different decision (not to participate in the World Cup)," said Taj.

Iran is placed in Group G of the 2026 World Cup to compete against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt. Two matches against New Zealand and Belgium will be held at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California. The final group stage match against Egypt will take place at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington.

Team Melli will be based in Tucson, Arizona. They are staying at the Grand Resort and Spa Westward Look Wyndham. Iran's training venue is located at the Kino Sports Complex. The two locations are approximately 22 kilometers apart, which can be reached by a 20-minute bus ride.

The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmail Baghaei, emphasized that FIFA's responsibility is to meet all the needs and requirements of all World Cup members. With this regulation, Baghaei stated that all World Cup organizers must comply with FIFA's rules.

"We're not just going to the US for a trip. We're going there to participate in the World Cup," Baghaei stressed.

"The host government is required to adhere to FIFA regulations to provide the necessary arrangements and issue the required visas without political considerations," Baghaei continued.

Separately, Ghalenoei stated that he will begin a training camp in preparation for the 2026 World Cup this weekend. A total of 30 players—mostly with careers in the Iranian League—will participate in the training in Tehran.

After that, they will head to Istanbul on May 16 to continue their preparation program. In Turkey, the Iranian squad consists of 26 members, and players who are active in Europe, including Mehdi Taremi, are scheduled to have joined.

They will undergo preparations for about two weeks, including conducting a friendly match with a local club. Team Melli is scheduled to arrive in Arizona on June 8, or a week before the first Group G match against New Zealand on June 15.

"We have scheduled two or three trials before competing in the World Cup. However, we will strive to adapt to the situation we currently have," said Ghalenoei. (AP/REUTERS)