Italy’s repechage to World Cup, a condition demanded by'Iran reopens everything
The president of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), Mehdi Taj, said FIFA will have to ensure that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is not “insulted” by the United States if the Iranian national team travels to the country to play the World Cup in June. A position linked, however, to a still uncertain framework, as the final verdict is expected on May 20, when a meeting is scheduled in Zurich with FIFA to work out the details of the team’s trip led by coach Amir Ghalenoei.
The affair fits into an already complex context. Only a few days ago, the Iranian delegation had been turned away by Canada and had been unable to attend the FIFA Congress in Vancouver. Taj had initially attributed the absence to an internal choice, but later the Canadian immigration minister confirmed that the FFIRI president’s visa had been revoked during the trip because of his alleged ties to the IRGC. Canada, in 2024, listed the Pasdaran as a terrorist organization, following a similar decision made by the United States five years earlier.
Following the incident, FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström expressed regret for the inconvenience suffered by the Iranian delegation and invited the federation to a meeting in Zurich on May 20 to discuss preparations for the tournament.
Taj reiterated that Iran will seek assurances from U.S. soccer authorities on the treatment of its delegation. “We need a guarantee for our trip, that they do not have the right to insult the symbols of our system, especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,” he said during an event in Tehran. He added that without clear assurances, incidents like the one in Canada could be repeated and even lead to the team being turned away at the border.
“We will participate in the World Cup, for which we have qualified, and our host is FIFA, not the United States or President Trump,” he stressed, insisting that the welcome should include respect for Iran’s military institutions.
