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FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom and Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj held talks in Istanbul on Saturday as both sides worked through operational issues surrounding Iran’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Turkish Football Federation as Iran’s national side prepared to leave for a training camp in Türkiye before traveling to North America.
The talks came as Iran prepared to compete in the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Iran is scheduled to play all three Group G matches in the U.S. However, concerns remain after visas for the Iranian national team players and officials had still not been issued ahead of the tournament.
One of the main reasons is that the U.S. and Iran have had no diplomatic relations for decades, while U.S. visa rules also bar or heavily restrict individuals who have completed their mandatory military service in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Washington designates as a foreign terrorist organization.
"We’ve had an excellent meeting, a constructive meeting together with the Iran FA," Grafstrom told reporters after the discussions. He noted that FIFA and the Iranian federation had reviewed operational matters similar to those discussed with other member associations ahead of the tournament.
"We’re working closely together and looking very much forward to welcoming them to the World Cup," he added.
Taj also echoed the positive tone of the talks, saying, "We discussed our concerns and reaffirmed our shared commitment to ensuring Team Melli’s smooth participation in the tournament."
Iran is expected to hold a training camp in Antalya and prepare to play two friendly matches there. One fixture against the Gambia national football team on May 29 has already been confirmed, according to organizer Sam Mehdizadeh.
Iran qualified for a fourth straight World Cup and plans to establish its base camp in Tucson, Arizona, once the team arrives in the U.S.
Team Melli will open their Group G campaign against the New Zealand national football team in Los Angeles on June 15 before facing the Belgium national football team and the Egypt national football team in later group matches.
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