Iran’s football chief, Mehdi Taj, has declared that their World Cup host is FIFA—not the United States or President Donald Trump—as tensions rise over political sensitivities ahead of the 2026 tournament.
Taj, who leads the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), made the statement while calling on FIFA to guarantee respect for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a powerful institution in Iran that is designated as a terrorist organisation by both the US and Canada.
The controversy follows an incident involving an Iranian delegation that turned back from the Canadian border before last week’s FIFA Congress in Vancouver. According to reports, Taj’s visa was cancelled mid-flight due to alleged links to the IRGC—a move later confirmed by Canadian authorities.
“We are going to the World Cup, for which we qualified, and our host is FIFA—not Mr Trump or America,” Taj said.
He stressed that if Iran is to participate without issues, there must be assurances that its national symbols and institutions, particularly the IRGC, will not be disrespected.
“If they accept hosting us, then they must also accept that they must not insult our military institutions in any way,” he added.
Taj warned that failure to provide such guarantees could result in situations similar to the Canada incident, potentially forcing the team to withdraw again.
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Meanwhile, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has maintained that Iran will participate as scheduled, despite earlier requests from Tehran to have their matches moved to Mexico.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup—co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico—will run from June 11 to July 19, with Iran set to play all its group-stage matches in the US.
Iran will open their campaign against New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles, face Belgium on June 21 at the same venue, and conclude their group fixtures against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
