FIFA Seeks to Reassure Iran over World Cup Participation
FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom is due to meet officials of the Iranian Football Federation in Istanbul on Saturday. According to a Reuters source, FIFA executives want to provide assurances to Iran about the country's participation in next year's World Cup.
Iran is scheduled to play all three group stage matches in the United States, but doubts have arisen over the team's participation following US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February. The situation has been further complicated by Iranian federation president Mehdi Taj's being refused entry to Canada for the FIFA congress because of his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Tehran has warned that FIFA must ensure equal access for all qualified teams to the host countries, and that if participation cannot be guaranteed without restrictions, the credibility of the championship will be damaged.
Iran has demanded that its matches be moved to Mexico, but FIFA president Gianni Infantino is insisting on the original schedule. Iran's squad is due to move to a training center in Arizona in June.