Italy’s repechage to World Cup, FIFA pulls straight and is ready for next move

While the idea of a possible repechage to the 2026 World Cup, which was not reached on the field after being eliminated in the playoffs in Bosnia, continues to be nurtured in Italy, confirmation arrives from Istanbul that FIFA is working, by contrast, to ensure Iran’s presence at the World Cup. The international federation seems to want to put aside any alternative plans, thus trying to avoid a scenario that is unprecedented at the level of the rainbow review.

On Saturday, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström will meet in the Turkish capital with the Iranian Football Federation’s top brass to address the final knots related to the trip to the United States, where Iran will have to play all three group matches between Los Angeles and Seattle. Specifically, the knot concerns visas and the strict procedures for entry into the U.S. Local authorities have assured that the athletes should not encounter any obstacles, but doubts remain about the leaders and members of the delegation.

A number of Iranian officials, in fact, had failed to attend the FIFA Congress in Canada last month, despite holding regular visas, stopped at the very U.S. stopover from where they were supposed to travel to Vancouver. Among them were Federal President Mehdi Taj himself and Secretary General Hedayat Mombeini. The FFIRI will then demand specific guarantees: visas for all members of the delegation, exemption from fingerprinting, and charter flights bound for the United States.

In light of this new meeting, it seems clear that FIFA is working to armor Iran’s presence, not to consider alternatives. Italy’s repechage, already considered a remote possibility and not even particularly welcome by much of public opinion within the Boot, is in danger of leaving the table for good.