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The General Secretary of the International Football Federation (FIFA), Matthias Grafstrom, said that he held a constructive and positive meeting with the President of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, on Saturday.
In his statements to Reuters, Grafstrom expressed his confidence in Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup.
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“We had a great and constructive meeting with the Iranian Football Federation. We work closely with each other and look forward to welcoming them to the FIFA World Cup.”
More questions were raised after Taj was barred from entering Canada to attend the FIFA General Assembly in Vancouver earlier this month because of his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Grafstrom declined to provide details on the status of entry visas for the Iranian players, but said the two sides had an opportunity to discuss some operational issues and exchange positive views.
FIFA Solutions
For his part, Taj told Reuters that the Iranian Football Federation had a very good meeting with Grafstrom and other FIFA officials.
The president of the Iranian Federation added. “I am glad that they listened to the points raised by Iran, all ten points that we raised, and provided solutions for each one… I hope that God will grant that our national team can go to the World Cup without problems and achieve very good results.”
Asked whether FIFA had received assurances about the entry and visa regime for Iranian players, Grafstrom declined to elaborate.
“We have discussed all the relevant issues, but I think this is not the right place to discuss the details. Overall, it was a very positive meeting and we look forward to continuing the dialogue.”
Iran are set to open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles, USA, before playing Belgium and then Egypt in Group Seven.
