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Iran seeks Fifa guarantees before attending World Cup in US
May 6, 2026
Posted 2 hours ago by
Iran seeks Fifa guarantees before attending World Cup in US Iran’s football federation chief, Mehdi Taj has demanded guarantees from Fifa that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other state institutions will not be “insulted” when the national football team attends the World Cup in June. “We need a guarantee there, for our trip, that they have no right to insult the symbols of our system, especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” Taj told Reuters.
“We are going to the World Cup, for which we qualified, and our host is FIFA – not Mr. Trump or America,” he added. The comments follow an incident last week in which an Iranian football delegation, including Taj, was prevented from entering Canada after authorities cancelled his visa over alleged links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal and others stand on stage during Fifa World Cup 2026 draw in Washington, DC, 5 December 2025 (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images via AFP)
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