FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom is scheduled to meet with officials from the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation (FFIRI) in Istanbul on Saturday, a source familiar with the discussions said, with the stated objective of providing reassurance about Iran's planned participation in the upcoming World Cup.
Iran is set to play all three of its group matches in the United States during the tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19. Nevertheless, the squad's attendance has been called into question following a series of events since late February, when U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran heightened bilateral tensions.
Concerns escalated earlier this month when FFIRI President Mehdi Taj was denied entry to Canada for the FIFA Congress in Vancouver. Canadian authorities refused Mr. Taj entry because of his alleged links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - an organisation that both the United States and Canada describe as a "terrorist entity." Both host countries have stated they will not admit individuals with ties to the IRGC.
In response to the travel and access issues, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, posted on social media this week that it is incumbent on FIFA to guarantee that all teams and their delegations can enter the host countries. He wrote that "the Iranian national football team has earned its right to participate on the field in accordance with FIFA regulations," and warned that any obstruction to the entry of players, technical staff, federation officials, or essential delegation members would "violate the spirit and purpose of the World Cup."
Gharibabadi added that if the organising body cannot ensure that all qualified teams, including Iran, can enter the host country without discrimination or restriction and compete on equal terms, "the credibility of the World Cup itself will be damaged."
The source close to the talks said that FIFA is working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure that all teams attending the tournament are able to compete in a safe and secure environment. FIFA President Gianni Infantino has maintained that all matches should be staged at the venues originally scheduled.
U.S. President Donald Trump was quoted two weeks ago as saying he was "okay" with Iran participating in the World Cup despite the heightened conflict between the two countries that followed the air strikes.
Preparations for the Iranian team's travel schedule are already under way. The national side will depart Tehran for a training camp in Turkey on Monday, before relocating in early June to their U.S. base at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona. Iran's first match of the tournament is scheduled against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.
Context and implications
The upcoming meeting in Istanbul represents a diplomatic and logistical effort by football's governing body to address entry and security questions tied to the participation of one of its qualified national teams. The FFIRI's recent difficulties in obtaining entry to a host nation for senior officials underline the practical complications that arise when national security classifications intersect with international sporting events.
FIFA's engagement with relevant authorities aims to preserve the tournament's integrity by ensuring that all qualified teams are able to take part without discrimination. The situation remains fluid, with the stakes primarily focused on travel access, delegation admittance, and the ability to stage matches as scheduled.