Amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Iran’s participation in the World Cup, which begins in a month, remains the subject of speculation.
Iran wants guarantees on a number of points before agreeing to participate in the World Cup
Iran’s national soccer federation has announced that its men’s national team will compete in this summer’s World Cup, subject to the tournament’s co-hosts agreeing to 10 conditions, amid the ongoing war with the United States.
Iran’s participation in the tournament, which begins next month in Mexico, has been in doubt for months due to conflicts in the Middle East. It was announced earlier this month that Iran would send a delegation to FIFA headquarters for talks after Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj was unable to attend the FIFA General Assembly in Canada due to his membership in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
However, despite speculation surrounding Iran’s World Cup qualification, a statement released outlined that Iran plans to participate but is seeking certain guarantees from the host nation.
“We will definitely participate in the 2026 World Cup, but the host country must take into account our concerns,” the Iranian federation wrote.
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“We will be participating in the World Cup tournament, but we will not back down from our beliefs, our culture and our beliefs.”
Conditions offered by Iran include visas, respect for national team staff and the singing of the Iranian flag and national anthem. There is also a need to ensure the safety of travel routes to the airport, hotels, and the venue where Iran’s three group stage matches will be held.
Iran, based in Tucson, Arizona, will face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in Group G. If they participate in the tournament, their first match will be against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15th.
The tournament begins next month in Mexico (Image: Getty Images)
Taj appeared on state television on Friday and spoke about Iran’s conditions for the World Cup. He hinted at some assurance earlier this week.
“We will communicate our expectations to (FIFA) and if they accommodate it, we will definitely participate,” Taj said on Wednesday.
“But no one has the right to insult us or a pillar of our system if there is no guarantee that they will be addressed. And if they continue down the path of disrespect and even ask such questions of our players, we may make a different decision.”
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