Iran’s football chief asks Donald Trump and the US to allow playing in the World Cup.
The World Cup is just over a month away, but there’s still some uncertainty about whether Iran will take part. Iran qualified for the 2026 World Cup over a year ago, joining as one of the non-host teams in FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s expanded 48-team tournament.
Securing their spot on the field was only part of the challenge for Iran, especially since the country has tense relations with the United States. All three of Iran’s Group G matches—against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt—are set to be played in the U.S. after an earlier idea to move games to co-host Mexico was quickly dropped.
With ongoing conflicts involving some FIFA members and U.S. officials showing hostility towards certain foreign nationals, Iran’s players, officials, and fans have often had to ask for safety assurances. Unfortunately, these requests have sometimes been met with veiled threats from former U.S. President Donald Trump.
After Iran’s team was denied entry to Canada for last week’s FIFA congress in Vancouver, Iranian Football Association president Mehdi Taj demanded guarantees from the hosts that Iran’s military won’t be disrespected during the World Cup. Canada, which classifies Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group, might soon be joined by the UK in doing so.
Taj told Iran’s state broadcaster, “If they give a clear guarantee that incidents like in Canada don’t happen again, we will participate.” According to Iran’s FA, their delegation left Canada and flew to Turkey after facing what they described as offensive treatment from immigration officials.
Taj emphasized, “This is something that must be taken seriously.” He also reminded viewers that Iran earned its right to compete at the World Cup, and that FIFA—not Trump—is the official host. However, FIFA’s independence seems complicated by Infantino’s close ties to Trump. For example, Trump received the FIFA Peace Prize at the World Cup draw last December, even though the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military sites just two months later.
If Iran decides to withdraw, it could reflect on both FIFA and the host nation, especially given Infantino’s relationship with Trump. It’s also worth noting that other World Cup qualifiers like Haiti, Ivory Coast, and Senegal face travel restrictions when entering the United States.