Overview
- Iran’s football federation said Saturday it will attend the tournament only if 10 conditions are met, and FIFA said it has received the complaint and is reviewing it.
- The demands center on guaranteed visas for all delegation members, enhanced security at airports, hotels and team routes, and full respect for Iran’s flag, anthem and cultural protocols.
- U.S. officials have signaled they expect to admit players but may bar staff or officials tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which keeps most of Iran’s requested guarantees unresolved.
- Iran is scheduled to play all three group matches in the United States, with two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle, and the team plans to base in Tucson, which heightens the urgency to lock in travel and protection plans.
- The push follows Canada’s recent refusal of entry to federation chief Mehdi Taj and reflects U.S. and Canadian terror listings for the Guard Corps, a backdrop that limits what FIFA can promise because each country controls its own visas.