Iran's Foreign Ministry has accused tournament organisers of subjecting the country's football team to what it described as the "most politicised" treatment during the FIFA World Cup 2026, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei made the remarks on June 30, highlighting visa denials and forced relocation as key examples, according to Al Jazeera.
Visa Denials and Base Camp Relocation
Baghaei stated that visa issuance was a major issue from the outset, with a large number of technical staff and federation officials being denied entry. "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 moved its World Cup base camp from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico before the tournament started, following uncertainty surrounding travel and entry arrangements in the United States. The relocation came amid ongoing geopolitical tensions involving the United States and Israel.
Group Stage Performance and Elimination
Iran's World Cup campaign saw them draw all three of their group-stage matches, finishing third in Group G behind Belgium and Egypt. They also missed out on qualification as one of the best third-placed teams. In their final group-stage match against Egypt, Mahmoud Sabre gave the Pharaohs the lead after Mohamed Salah's effort was parried. Ramin Rezaeian equalised for Iran after Mehdi Taremi had earlier seen his penalty saved by Mostafa Shobeir. 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.
Geopolitical Context
The treatment of Iran's team occurred against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, as well as Iran and Israel. Baghaei's comments reflect Tehran's view that sports have been unfairly politicised, affecting the team's preparation and performance. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not specify which countries or organisations were responsible for the alleged politicisation but implied that the host nations played a role.
