Iran’s football federation president, Mehdi Taj, said Saturday that the country “definitely” will play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but he pressed the three North American host nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — to guarantee that Iranian players and staff will receive visas and be treated with respect. The demand, delivered through state-run IRNA media, comes as Iran navigates a delicate post-conflict relationship with Washington: the nations are observing a fragile ceasefire after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28, and the Trump administration continues to enforce a sweeping travel ban on Iranian citizens.
Taj singled out players and technical staff who completed their mandatory military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. “All players and technical staff, especially those who served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, should be granted visas without problems,” he said, according to Iranian media. The U.S. and Canada both list the Guard as a terrorist organization, a designation that has already snarled travel for senior Iranian football officials. Canadian authorities denied Taj entry ahead of a FIFA Congress last month, with AP citing his past ties to the Guard as the reported reason.
The federation’s president made clear that Iran’s participation is not unconditional. He said the Islamic Republic would take part in the tournament “without retreating from our beliefs, culture and convictions” only if its conditions — “guarantees over visas, security and treatment of Iranian players and officials” — are met. Taj has previously said he would seek assurances from FIFA that the Iranian flag, national anthem, and delegation will be treated respectfully throughout the competition.
The visa issue could land directly on the squad. Mehdi Taremi, the team’s captain and star striker, completed his conscripted service in the Guard, though in Iran conscripts may be assigned to the police or army, seldom by choice. If U.S. border officials apply existing terrorism-related travel restrictions strictly, Taremi and any other players with Guard service could face hurdles entering the country. The World Cup opens with Iran’s Group G match against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California — barely a few miles from Los Angeles International Airport.
Iran has qualified for four consecutive men’s World Cups and seven overall but has never advanced beyond the group stage. Ranked 21st in the world, the team lost just one match during Asian qualifying. FIFA has not publicly commented on the visa dispute.