FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom held a constructive and positive meeting with Iran's FA (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj in Istanbul on Saturday. Grafstrom expressed confidence regarding Iran's participation in this year's World Cup, which is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Iran's football chief stated that FIFA has offered solutions for each of the country's concerns before their games in the U.S.
The team's participation has been in question since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February. Concerns increased after President Taj was refused entry to Canada for the FIFA Congress in Vancouver earlier this month due to his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which the U.S. and Canada classify as a terrorist entity. While Grafstrom declined to elaborate on specific visa arrangements for the players, he said the two sides had a positive exchange regarding operational matters.
Iran had requested that its matches be moved to Mexico, but FIFA President Gianni Infantino insists that all games must be played at the originally scheduled grounds. The Iranian squad is scheduled to leave Tehran for a training camp in Turkey on Monday before moving to their U.S. base at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, in early June.
Iran is set to begin its World Cup campaign in Los Angeles on June 15 against New Zealand. The team is also scheduled to play Belgium and Egypt in Group G.