TEHRAN — FIFA is under pressure after Iran raised visa and access concerns for its national football team ahead of the 2026 World Cup, calling on the governing body to ensure proper conditions for teams travelling to the tournament.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Wednesday that host countries for the World Cup must issue visas without political considerations, calling on FIFA to ensure proper conditions for teams travelling to the tournament.
“We will make every effort. Look, our national football team is not ‘travelling’ to the United States, rather we are going there to take part in the FIFA World Cup. Therefore, it is FIFA’s responsibility to provide all the necessary facilities and conditions,” Baghaei said.
“Host governments also have a very clear obligation under FIFA regulations to provide the necessary arrangements and issue the required visas without taking political considerations or motives into account. We hope that FIFA, if only for the sake of preserving its own credibility, will certainly take the necessary measures.”
The comments follow concerns raised by Iranian football officials after an FFIRI delegation turned back from the Canadian border last week, citing disrespectful treatment, after the federation’s president, Mehdi Taj, had his visa cancelled over links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Taj has said Iran would seek assurances from FIFA over its treatment in the United States, a co-host of the June tournament alongside Canada and Mexico, warning that a lack of guarantees could lead to similar disruptions for the team’s participation.
Source: Reuters
