FIFA president Gianni Infantino insists Iran will play in this summer’s World Cup, and in the U.S.
Iran was the only one of FIFA’s 211 member nations absent from the FIFA Congress, after Canada’s government reportedly revoked visas it had given to Iranian soccer leaders.
VANCOUVER, B.C. — FIFA president Gianni Infantino did not hide from the most sensitive subject at the organization’s Congress gathering on Thursday.
Iran was the only one of FIFA’s 211 member nations not present after Canada’s government reportedly revoked visas it had given to Iranian soccer leaders.
This was the latest of many chapters of controversy involving Iran’s role in this summer’s World Cup, in the midst of the U.S. and Israel’s ongoing conflict with the Middle Eastern country.
Iran’s soccer federation had visa problems before the World Cup draw in Washington that were resolved just before the event in December. And since the war started, President Donald Trump has weighed in several times, sometimes requiring Infantino to personally meet with Trump at the White House to smooth things over.
This time, Infantino had the stage to himself.
“Let me start at the outset, confirming straight away for those who maybe want to say something else or want to write something else,“ he said, ”that of course, Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026. And of course, Iran will play in the United States of America."
The crowd applauded when he said that.
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“And the reason for that is very simple, dear friends,” Infantino continued. “It’s because we have to unite. We have to bring people together. It is my responsibility, it is our responsibility.”
Iran’s soccer federation requested in March to have its group games moved to Mexico. FIFA refused. Infantino then met with Iran’s team at its game against Costa Rica at the end of that month. That seemed to calm the waters for a little while.
But the story isn’t expected to dissipate until the World Cup — and perhaps well into the tournament. If Iran and the United States finish second in their respective groups, they’ll meet in the first knockout round in Arlington, Texas.
As for Iran’s delegation not being at the Congress, some specifics of what happened remained hazy as of Thursday morning. But a source with knowledge of the matter offered a few clarifying details.
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The source said two members of what would have been Iran’s FIFA Congress delegation had permits to enter Canada. It was widely reported this week that Iranian Football Federation president Mehdi Taj was one of them. Taj was formerly an intelligence commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which Canada labeled a terrorist organization in 2024.
Iran’s state news agency said secretary-general Hedayat Mombeni and his top deputy Hamed Momeni were also in the delegation.
The source did not know which two people had the permits, only that two people had them. The source also said one person in Iran’s delegation was formally denied entry, and after that they all decided to leave.
A video that circulated on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday seemed to show Taj getting escorted back out of an immigration/customs area at Toronto’s Pearson airport. It was unclear where the account, called The Iran Watcher, got the video from, or when it was filmed.
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The source notably said FIFA asked that Iran have a presence at the Congress. But the final decision was always up to Canada’s government, not FIFA.
Though Canada’s foreign minister Anita Anand said she’d been told the denial of entry was “unintentional,” the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada agency said otherwise in a statement to sports investigative outlet Josimar: “While we cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy laws, the government has been clear and consistent: [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country.”
The first time Iran came up during the Congress was when FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafström called the roll for attendance. As he named all 211 members, when he got to Iran, he simply said, “Absent.”
There was no reaction in the hall. Grafström took a breath, then moved on to the next nation in line, Iraq.
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The Congress began with remarks from Concacaf president, FIFA vice president, and Vancouver native Victor Montagliani. It’s the first time since 2016 that the event has been held in North America. Also, the Congress usually happens at the start of the World Cup, but this time it’s six weeks before the opening game.
As Montagliani praised various soccer and political leaders, the words he used for Canadian prime minister Mark Carney were notable.
“At a moment when the world is looking for principle of leadership, leadership that understands cooperation as a strength, his voice matters,” Montagliani said. And a moment later, speaking of the world at large, he added: “Right now, outside these walls, the world feels a little less stable. In many places, cooperation is weakening, trust is disappearing, and the rules that tie us together are being tested, if not ignored.”
He didn’t say who he was speaking to or who was responsible for that.
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The U.S. had four people in its delegation: president Cindy Cone, CEO JT Batson, new chief operating officer Dan Helfrich, and longtime managing director of administration Tom King. Cone sat at one of the seats on main stage, as a member of FIFA’s governing council.
