Less than a month before the start of the 2026 World Cup, the FIFA intensified efforts to ensure the participation of the Iranian National Team in the tournament. In this context, officials from the organization and the Iranian Football Federation held a meeting in Istanbul that both parties described as "constructive".
The meeting was led by FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström, and the president of the Iranian federation, Mehdi Taj. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Turkish Football Federation, amid growing political tension between Tehran and Washington over the conflict in the Middle East.
"Our meeting with the Iranian Football Federation has been very constructive. We are working closely together and we look forward to welcoming the Islamic Republic of Iran to the World Cup", expressed Grafström in an official statement released by FIFA.
The official also explained that during the summit, operational issues related to the participation of the Asian team were discussed. "We have been able to address certain operational matters, as we do with each member association. I am very pleased with the richness of our exchanges", he added.
FIFA leaders and Iran met in Turkey.
The Iranian delegation also expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting. "We had a positive and constructive meeting with FIFA. We discussed our concerns and expressed our joint commitment to ensure the uninterrupted participation of the National Team in the World Cup", noted Mehdi Taj.
Iran's concerns mainly revolve around issues related to security, visas, and respect for national symbols during the tournament. Days ago, the federation had conditioned its participation on the fulfillment of ten guarantees, including unrestricted entry for the delegation and protection against possible protests from Iranian opponents residing in the United States.
In this context, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently assured that players will be able to enter the country without issues, although he clarified that some members of the leadership structure may face immigration restrictions due to alleged ties with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
Meanwhile, the Persians will travel to Turkey in the coming days for a pre-tournament training camp before moving to North America. Their debut in Group G of the World Cup will be on June 16 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, and then they will face Belgium there on the 21st and Egypt on the 27th in Seattle.
