FIFA World Cup 2026: Iran faced "politicised" treatment at World Cup, says country's Foreign Ministry
Tehran, June 30
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran's football team was treated in what he described as the "most politicised" manner during the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to Al Jazeera.
Notably, Iran's participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026, jointly hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, came amid ongoing geopolitical tensions involving the United States and Israel.
Iran also moved their World Cup base camp from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico before the start of the tournament, following uncertainty surrounding travel and entry arrangements in the United States.
Baghaei said that visa issuance had been a major issue from the outset, with a large number of technical staff and federation officials being denied visas.
"The issue of the Iranian national football team staying at a place other than the venue of the games itself also became problematic," he said as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Iran's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign saw them draw all three of their group-stage matches, but they were eliminated after finishing third in Group G behind Belgium and Egypt, and also missing out on qualification as one of the best third-placed teams.
In their last group-stage match against Iran, Mahmoud Sabre gave the Pharaohs the lead after Mohamed Salah's effort was parried, before Ramin Rezaeian equalised for Iran after Mehdi Taremi had earlier seen his penalty saved by Mostafa Shobeir. Ramin Rezaeian was named Player of the Match, but Iran's late push for victory ended in frustration when a stoppage-time goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Exactly what we've been saying for years—sports is the last bastion of diplomacy, and when you politicise it, everyone loses. Iran's team showed grit to hold Belgium and Egypt to draws. That VAR decision to rule out their winning goal must have been heartbreaking. 😡 But honestly, the real injustice is the visa drama before the tournament even started. Shame on the host nations.
I think Iran needs to look at their own policies too. They politicise everything from women's rights to attendance at matches. Karma, anyone? 🤷 But yes, visa denials for technical staff is crossing a line. Sport should unite, not divide. India faced similar issues with Pakistan in cricket—let's keep politics out of the stadiums.
The treatment of Iran is a classic case of double standards. The West always preaches about 'sports for all' but then pulls stunts like this. Moving the base camp to Mexico last minute must have disrupted their preparation badly. Yet they still held their own—massive respect to the players. 🇮🇷👏 FIFA needs to grow a spine and call out host nations when they do this.
Honestly, I get the geopolitical tensions, but punishing the players and fans is wrong. Iran's team played with heart—that late equaliser against Egypt was electric. ⚡ But the real story is how the US and Canada made life difficult for them before a ball was kicked. If we want world peace, we need to let football do its magic. India should take note—sports can be a bridge, not a wall.
N Naveen S