May 17, 2026 | Burma Independent Voice
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström described Saturday’s meeting with the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) in Istanbul as “excellent and constructive,” aimed at ensuring Iran’s participation in the upcoming 2026 World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Despite ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Team Melli is slated to set up their training camp in the United States, where they are scheduled to play all three of their group-stage matches.
“We had an excellent and constructive meeting with the Iranian Football Federation. We are working closely together and look forward to warmly welcoming them to the World Cup,” Grafström said. He added that the talks focused on specific operational and implementation matters, similar to discussions held with other participating teams. Grafström emphasized that both FIFA and the Iranian federation were highly pleased with the productive exchange, adding that they await the arrival of the Iranian national team in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
FFIRI President Mehdi Taj, who noted as recently as Thursday that visas for the Iranian delegation had not yet been issued, declined to share specific details about Saturday’s meeting but echoed that it was “good and positive.”
“We discussed our core concerns, and both sides have committed to cooperating fully to ensure the Iranian team can participate smoothly in the tournament,” Taj stated.
The meeting, held at the Turkish Football Federation headquarters, coincided with Team Melli’s scheduled departure on Monday morning for a pre-tournament training camp in Turkey before heading to the United States.
Iran hopes to play two friendly matches in Antalya, Turkey. One fixture, a match against Gambia scheduled for May 29, has already been officially confirmed, according to Sam Mahdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian match agent organizing the friendlies.
The coaching staff has called up an initial 30-man provisional squad, which must eventually be trimmed to the maximum tournament limit of 26 players.
While the roster includes FC Porto forward Mehdi Taremi, it notably omits star striker Sardar Azmoun. The high-profile forward, who previously played for Bayern Leverkusen and AS Roma, has scored 57 goals for the national team.
Azmoun, who previously expressed support for anti-government protesters, faced intense accusations of being a “traitor to the nation” by Iranian state media in March after a photograph surfaced showing him alongside the Emir of Dubai, UAE, where he currently resides and plays.
However, Iran national team head coach Amir Ghalenoei defended his squad selection. “I swear by God, no factors other than technical and tactical criteria were involved in selecting the players. These 30 players were chosen solely based on those standards,” Ghalenoei asserted.
This tournament marks Iran’s fourth consecutive World Cup appearance. Upon arrival in the United States, the team will establish its base camp in Tucson, Arizona.
Drawn in Group G, Iran will kick off their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, before facing Belgium in Los Angeles and closing the group stage against Egypt in Seattle.
