The Iranian football delegation just landed in Washington, DC. They will take their place in the draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026, having prevailed against early warnings to withdraw from the tournament over concerns over visa access. That decision comes amid a fraught political climate with an increasingly edgy domestic political scene. The Iran-U.S. tensions that underlie this situation have lasted more than 40 years.
In April, Tehran and Washington started direct — or at least direct-enough — nuclear talks, adding another complicated dimension to an already labyrinthine diplomatic landscape. Iran has long maintained that its right to enrich uranium is “inalienable,” a point that has ratcheted up diplomatic tensions. Against this backdrop, the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) submitted a request for nine visas for its delegation. They were only granted four visas, with one of them going to head coach Ardeshir Amir Ghalenoei.
Mehdi Taj, the president of FFIRI, was one of those denied a visa. He criticized the ruling as being driven by politics. He lambasted what he considers an encroachment of politics into the world of sports.
“We have informed FIFA that the decisions taken have nothing to do with sports, and the members of the Iranian delegation will not participate in the World Cup draw,” – Mehdi Taj
These complications meant Ghalenoei and the rest of the delegation were forced to navigate unexpected obstacles with their visas. After threatening to pull out of the draw, they ultimately chose to go ahead and stay. This new decision shows a new openness to find common ground with FIFA and the tournament organizers not shown previously, even amid major rapidly shifting political realities.
FIFA has reiterated its public support for the Iranian delegation’s presence in Washington, DC. The organization stated,
“FIFA has welcomed the arrival of the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation delegation to Washington, DC, including head coach Ardeshir Ghalenoei, to attend the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw and the team seminar.”
This announcement further reinforces FIFA’s focus on providing all teams participating in the tournament an equitable chance to compete. In a second vote of confidence, FIFA amended its regulations to allow for greater autonomy of leagues.
“FIFA looks forward to continuing to work with the Federation and the host country authorities to ensure preparations for their participation at the FIFA World Cup 2026 next summer.”
Political strife reached new heights with Israel’s historic and brand new, unprecedented mid-June preemptive bombing campaign against Iran. This move led to a short-lived 12-day war, including U.S. military strikes on critical Iranian nuclear sites. These visa sanctions come amidst increasing geopolitical tensions that have led to hardline visa measures against Iranians. Consequently, people connected to the Iranian government must navigate complicated travel circumstances for both political and security reasons.
