FIFA is watching… a dangerous event that could jeopardize Iran’s participation in the World Cup

In a dangerous development that could jeopardize Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup, Iran’s soccer federation revealed that the United States has yet to grant entry visas to members of the national team, even though the tournament is less than a month away.

The president of the Iran Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, expressed his deep concern regarding the unjustified delay in the sharp statements of the Iranian “Nasim” station, saying:

Turkish camp and anxious waiting

Iran’s national team is set to travel to Turkey later this week for a 15-day training camp in an attempt to continue preparations despite uncertainty surrounding its participation.

Federation officials hope to reach a radical resolution during the Turkish camp, before the crisis turns into a full-fledged sporting and diplomatic disaster.

Taj confirmed that he is looking forward to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino and FIFA Secretary General Matthias Grafström to discuss this thorny issue and demand an urgent solution.

Criticism of FIFA and Iran’s strict conditions

Taj harshly criticized the International Federation, accusing it of not effectively intervening to protect the rights of the Iranian national team and settle the crisis.

Tehran went further as it set strict conditions for its participation in the tournament, including ensuring that no political comments or messages are directed at the national team or the federation during matches, a clear reference to what happened at Qatar 2022.

Games on American soil…request denied

Iran’s national team will play all of its matches in Group G on American soil, where it will face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt.

Iran had made an official request to move its games from the US to Mexico, but FIFA flatly rejected the request, further escalating tensions.