FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom held a constructive meeting on May 16, 2026, with Iran Football Federation (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj in Istanbul to discuss Iran’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup [1, 2, 3]. Grafstrom described the talks as positive and constructive, saying, "We've had an excellent meeting and constructive meeting together with the Iran FA. We're working closely together and looking very much forward to welcoming them in the FIFA World Cup" [2].
Iran is set to play all three of its Group G matches in the United States during the World Cup, scheduled from June 11 to July 19, 2026 [1, 2, 3]. Their group stage games will be against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, and Egypt in Seattle [2, 3, 4]. Iran will start its campaign on June 15 in Los Angeles against New Zealand [1, 2, 3].
Iran’s participation faced uncertainty after US and Israeli air strikes on Iran in late February 2026 and when FFIRI President Mehdi Taj was denied entry to Canada for the FIFA Congress due to alleged links with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) [1, 2, 5, 3, 4]. The US and Canada, two of the tournament hosts alongside Mexico, classify the IRGC as a terrorist entity and bar individuals linked to it from entry [1, 2, 5].
Iran requested that its World Cup matches be moved to Mexico, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino insisted all matches remain at their original venues [1, 2, 5]. FIFA is working closely with authorities to ensure all qualified teams, including Iran, enter host countries without discrimination and compete on equal terms [1, 5, 4]. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that barring Iranian delegation members would violate the World Cup’s spirit and damage its credibility [1]. He said, "Any obstruction to the entry of players, technical staff, federation officials, or essential members of the Iranian delegation would violate the spirit and purpose of the World Cup … the credibility of the World Cup itself will be damaged" [1].
FFIRI President Mehdi Taj raised 10 specific points of concern during the meeting and expressed hope for a smooth participation and good results. He said, "I am pleased that they listened to Iran’s points, all 10 points that we had raised, and they offered solutions for each of them. I hope, God willing, that our national team can go to the World Cup without any problems and achieve very good results there" [6].
Grafstrom declined to reveal details on visa arrangements but confirmed the dialogue would continue. "We've discussed all relevant matters, but I think it's not the place to discuss the details. Overall, a very positive meeting and we’re looking forward to continuing the dialogue," he said [7].
Iran will send a 30-man squad to a training camp in Turkey starting May 18, before moving to their base at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, in early June [1, 2, 5]. This squad will be trimmed to 26 players for the World Cup roster [4, 8]. Iran also will play a friendly match against The Gambia on May 29 as part of its final preparations [8].
