Iran’s national team is still waiting on visas for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with their participation hanging in the balance.
As the U.S. and Israel continue to strike the country, Iran’s soccer federation president Mehdi Taj has entered into negotiations with FIFA over rescheduling games. The move came amid growing concerns over the team’s safety — fears amplified by U.S. President Donald Trump — ahead of the quadrennial tournament.
The World Cup is set to kick off on June 11, and on Wednesday, thousands of supporters gathered at a send-off rally for the squad in Tehran. Although the U.S. and Iran now have a ceasefire agreement in place, the visa situation remains unresolved, as per The Mirror US.
- FIFA World Cup hosts slash transportation fares amidst fierce backlash over fees
- Can you walk to MetLife stadium from New York City? How to access World Cup final stadium
“Tomorrow or the day after, we will have a decisive meeting with FIFA,” Taj told state news agency IRNA. “They must give us guarantees.
“We have not received any account from the other side regarding who has been granted visas. No visas have been issued yet.”
It has been a turbulent road to the World Cup for Iran. Trump called for the nation to be excluded from the tournament, and Iran fired back with their own demand to have the U.S. Men’s National Team removed from the 2026 competition.
Iran is scheduled to play all three group stage matches on U.S. soil, opening against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, before facing Belgium again at SoFi Stadium on June 21, and wrapping up Group G action against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Ultimately, the conflict has cast a shadow of uncertainty over Iran’s participation in the World Cup. Yet at FIFA’s annual congress in Vancouver last month, Gianni Infantino declared: “Of course, Iran will play in the United States of America.”
To listen to the latest episode of ‘All Out Soccer’ – CLICK HERE
Iran was notably the only nation absent from the congress after a delegation of Iranian FA (FFIRI) officials — including Taj — were refused entry into Canada. The country’s immigration minister revealed that Taj’s visa was cancelled while he was mid-flight due to his connections to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The situation has intensified questions over whether Iran is welcome to compete in either the United States or Canada. Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that her country would have no issue hosting Iran’s games should FIFA give the green light.
The FFIRI recently submitted a list of 10 conditions to FIFA regarding their participation at the World Cup, among them a demand that players, coaches, and officials who have completed military service with the IRGC be granted visas.
However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that Iranian players will be welcomed at the tournament, though individuals with ties to the IRGC could face restrictions on entry.
Iran is tentatively on course to appear in their fourth consecutive World Cup, having cruised through Asian qualifying. The team has yet to advance beyond the group stage of the tournament.
