Iran said it will play at the 2026 FIFA World Cup if the hosts address its visa, security, and protocol demands.
The Iranian football federation announced that the national team will participate in the FIFA World Cup, but they set forth 10 conditions for the tournament hosts. These conditions include guarantees for visas, respect for Iran’s flag and national anthem, and increased security at airports, hotels, and routes to stadiums.
Iran Football Federation president Mehdi Taj stated that Tehran seeks assurances regarding the treatment of its players, staff, officials, reporters, and fans during the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The conditions require Iranian reporters and supporters to clarify their visa arrangements and avoid immigration questioning after issuing visas. Additionally, Mehdi Taj specified that stadium flags should be restricted to the official national flags of the two teams for each match and that the Iranian anthem should play without interruption.
In response to the ongoing aggression by the United States and Israel against the country, Iran requested that journalists limit their questions at press conferences to football matters.
The demands stem from a dispute regarding entry to Canada. In April, Canada denied Taj entry due to alleged links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which both Canada and the United States categorize as a “terrorist entity.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the tournament would welcome Iranian players. He cautioned, however, that officials linked to the IRGC might still face entry restrictions. Elsewhere, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran’s matches will proceed in the United States as scheduled.
The ongoing debacle around Iran’s participation in the tournament has seen many shifts in the past two months. Mehdi Taj had previously stated that he “doubts [Iran] can look forward to the World Cup”. This was followed by the country’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, announcing withdrawal from the tournament. Furthermore, reports had emerged that FIFA was being lobbied into replacing Iran with Italy, before Italy’s sports minister outright rejected the effort by American officials.
Iran currently find themselves in Group G with New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt. The squad are expected to be based in Tucson, Arizona, and to play group matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.