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Iran’s football federation is in a tense stand-off with FIFA over unresolved visa issues for its national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Federation president Mehdi Taj expressed his concerns on Thursday, saying that no visas have been issued for the team, which will compete in the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
“We have not received any account from the other side regarding who has been granted visas. No visas have been issued yet,” Taj said, underlining the urgency of the situation. With the World Cup fast approaching, Taj announced that a “decisive meeting” with FIFA is expected soon to discuss the matter, stressing that guarantees from the global football body are necessary to resolve the issue.
Adding to the complexities, players are required to travel to Ankara for fingerprinting as part of the visa process, but the federation is seeking to ease this by arranging the procedure in Antalya.
“The players must travel to Ankara for fingerprinting, but we are trying to arrange for this to be done in Antalya so there will be no need to travel to Ankara,” Taj explained.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, emphasised that no host country should use political disputes or domestic policies to obstruct a team’s participation in the World Cup.
“If the organising body cannot guarantee that all qualified teams, including Iran, can enter the host country without discrimination or restriction, the credibility of the World Cup itself will be undermined,” Gharibabadi wrote on X.
Despite the tense political backdrop, Iran’s national team, known as Team Melli, is preparing for the tournament.
The team will be based in Tucson, Arizona, and will kick off its campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, with subsequent matches against Belgium and Egypt in Group G.
