Amid escalating political tensions over Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup, Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, has claimed that football’s regulatory body, not the United States, is the real authority behind the competition.
Taj made the comments while addressing worries about travel restrictions, political tension, and the treatment of Iranian officials ahead of the event co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as reported by BBC Sport on Wednesday.
Taj emphasized that Iran qualified for the competition and anticipates competing under FIFA’s oversight, saying, “Our host is FIFA, not Mr. Trump or America.”
The remarks follow Iranian football officials’ exclusion from a FIFA Congress in Canada due to allegations of affiliation with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a group that is classified as a terrorist organization in multiple nations.
Iran is requesting assurances that its delegation and state institution emblems won’t be mistreated during the competition, according to Taj, who has previously admitted to serving in the IRGC.
In reference to plans for the World Cup trip, he declared, “If they promise not to insult our military institutions and the IRGC, we’ll go.”
As part of ongoing preparations, FIFA has previously apologized for the visa situation involving Iranian authorities and invited the Iranian federation to discussions in Zurich.
Despite political issues, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has reaffirmed that Iran is still slated to participate and would play its matches as scheduled.
The conflict takes place in the context of tense relations between Washington and Tehran, where U.S. officials insist that anyone connected to the IRGC will not be let access.
Iran, on the other hand, maintains that sport and politics must be kept apart and that diplomatic conflicts should not have an impact on football participation.
Taj had previously stated, “We are going to the World Cup because we qualified,” adding that Iran would boycott the US politically but not the competition.
Ahead of one of football’s biggest events, the impasse underscores the growing convergence between international sport and geopolitics.
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