FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom described his Saturday meeting with the head of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) as «constructive» as concerns over the country’s participation in next month’s World Cup have not subsided.
Grafstrom met with FFIRI President Mehdi Taj in Istanbul and told the story Reuters he was confident that Iran would compete in the United States, despite hostilities between the two countries continuing into the third month.
“We had an excellent and constructive meeting with the Iranian FA,” Grafstrom said during a visit to Istanbul. “We are working closely together and are very much looking forward to welcoming them to the FIFA World Cup.”
Iran plans to play all three group matches in the United States, starting with a match against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. The country is also scheduled to take on Belgium in Los Angeles before wrapping up their Group G match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Iran asked to move its games to Mexico, but FIFA president Gianni Infantino rejected the request.
Taj has been president of Iran’s governing body since 2022, but previously served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
READ: Manchester City vs Chelsea FA Cup final player ratings – Semenyo’s strike secures City’s eighth title
The 66-year-old was banned from entering the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada, earlier this month due to his ties to the IRGC.
Canada and the United States, which are co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico, have classified the IRGC as a “terrorist entity” and said they will not allow people linked to that group into their respective countries.
Grafstrom would not specifically discuss entry and visa arrangements for Iranian players. The conversation with Taj mainly concerned operational issues.
“We have discussed all relevant matters, but I think this is not the place to discuss the details,” he said. “All in all, a very positive meeting, and we look forward to continuing the dialogue.”
Taj also shared with Reuters that the meeting with Grafstrom and other FIFA officials was positive.
«I am happy that they listened to Iran’s points, all ten points that we had put forward, and that they offered solutions for each of them. I hope, God willing, that our national team can go to the World Cup without any problems and achieve very good results there,» he said.
The Iranian team will leave Tehran on Monday for a training camp in Turkey. The United States base is at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, and the trip is scheduled to go there in early June.
Published on May 17, 2026
