IRAN MOVES WORLD CUP BASE TO MEXICO AND WANTS GUARANTEES ON VISAS AND SECURITY

National team will fly to the US on day of games after Washington refuses to host squad

Iran's players training in Antalya, Turkey, as they prepare for the World Cup. AFP

Iran's national team will base themselves in Mexico and travel ​to ​the US on ​the days of its three World Cup ⁠matches after Washington declined to host the squad, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said ​on Monday.

Sheinbaum said Fifa approached her government after US authorities said they did not ⁠want Iran staying in the country throughout the June 11-July 19 competition, even though Iran are scheduled to play three Group G matches there.

 "We have no reason to deny ⁠them the possibility of staying in Mexico," Sheinbaum told her daily press conference.

Iran are currently preparing for the tournament in Antalya, southern Turkey.

They ​are set to face New ‌Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June ​21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. US President Donald Trump said in March that Iran were welcome to participate in the World Cup but that he did not believe it was appropriate for them to be in the United States "for their own life and safety".

Mehdi Taj, head of Iran's football federation, said on Saturday the team's base would be moved from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana during the tournament. Fifa confirmed the move on Monday. Taj added that the swap would help avoid visa-related complications and allow direct Iran Air flights to ​Mexico.

Iran's World Cup plans have been under scrutiny ‌since late February, when the United ⁠States joined Israel in attacks on Iran, ​triggering a war that raised doubts over whether Tehran would send ​its team ‌to play in one of the host countries.

Members of the Iranian national football team camp arrive at the US Embassy in Ankara for their visa application on May 21. AFP

In March, Taj said Iran were in ⁠talks with Fifa about moving its group matches to Mexico on safety ⁠grounds, and Sheinbaum said Mexico would be open to hosting them. Fifa refused the request.

The uncertainty fueled wider speculation about Iran's place at the tournament. Iran qualified for a fourth consecutive World Cup by topping their group in the third round of Asian qualifying last year.

Visas and enhanced security

According to various reports at the start of May, Iran had asked Fifa for several guarantees. The demands came after Taj was denied entry to Canada for last month's Fifa Congress.

Chief among them was that their players, coaches and other officials will receive visas to attend the tournament.

That included visas for those on the team who have completed military service with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is listed as a terrorist organisation in Canada and the US.

“All players and technical staff, especially those who served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, should be granted visas without problems,” Taj, a former commander of Iran's IRGC, told Iranian media.

According to a report from the BBC, the Iranian Football Federation also wants assurances that its team will receive enhanced security during the tournament and that respect for the Iranian flag and national anthem will be maintained.

Iranian officials have also reportedly asked for journalists to avoid questions beyond "technical football matters".

- The National

IRANIAN OFFICIALS TO MISS FIFA CONGRESS OVER ALLEGED MISTREATMENT IN CANADA

Iran’s Mehdi Taj-led delegation turns back at Toronto airport due to ‘unacceptable behaviour of immigration officials’.

President of the Iranian Football Federation Mehdi Taj was leading the Iranian football delegation that travelled to Canada for the FIFA Congress [File: Atta Kenare/AFP]

An Iranian football federation delegation says it turned back at Toronto’s main airport this week, citing their treatment by Canadian immigration, and is set to miss a pre-World Cup FIFA gathering in Vancouver.

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported on Wednesday that the delegation members, including federation President Mehdi Taj, Secretary-General Hedayat Mombeni and his deputy, Hamed Momeni, turned back ⁠⁠upon arrival at Toronto’s Pearson airport despite holding valid visas, citing what was described as the “unacceptable behaviour of immigration officials”.

The Iranian delegation was en route to Vancouver for Thursday’s FIFA Congress, which is meant to bring together representatives of all 211 member associations before the World Cup being cohosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.

“While Mehdi Taj, president, Hedayat Mombeni, secretary-general, and Hamed Momeni, deputy secretary-general of the federation, had travelled to Toronto ⁠⁠with official visas to attend the FIFA Congress, they returned to Turkey on the first available flight due to the unacceptable behaviour of immigration officials at the airport and the insult to one of the most honourable organs of the Iranian nation’s armed forces,” the Iran football federation said in a statement.

In 2024, Canada listed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, and statements from the Canadian government indicated that Taj was denied entry due to his alleged ties with the IRGC.

“While we cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy laws, the government has been clear and consistent: IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country,” the Canadian government said in a statement.

"We have taken strong action to hold the IRGC to account and will continue to ‌‌do so, while protecting the safety of Canadians and upholding the integrity of our immigration system.”

However, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said it was her “understanding” that Iranian football officials were denied entry into the country but added that the denial was “unintentional”.

“It’s not my personal lead, but my understanding is that there is a revocation of the permission. It was unintentional, but I’ll leave it to the minister to indicate,” Anand said, apparently referring to Immigration Minister Lena Diab.

Canada’s Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said he could not speak about specific cases due to privacy legislation, but IRGC members were not welcome in Canada.

The incident that occurred on Tuesday underscores the practical and political obstacles surrounding Iran’s participation in the World Cup, the most politically sensitive item on FIFA’s agenda since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran in February.

Iran’s qualification has not removed hurdles tied to travel, visas and security in a tournament staged in three countries.

While FIFA has insisted fixtures will proceed as scheduled, the delegation’s withdrawal deepens doubts over whether Iranian players, officials and supporters will be able to move freely across borders during the tournament.

FIFA has since contacted the Iranian delegation to express regret over the incident and indicated that President Gianni Infantino ⁠⁠would arrange a meeting with them at the organisation’s headquarters, the Tasnim report added.

The FIFA Congress ⁠⁠is usually a routine gathering, but carries greater weight this year with the World Cup less than two months away and several ⁠⁠questions, including cost and Iran’s participation, still hanging over the first 48-team edition of the tournament.

The Iranian officials were also unable to attend Tuesday’s Asian Football Confederation congress, which was held in Vancouver.

- Reuters and The Associated Press