TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s football federation confirmed on Saturday that the men’s national team will take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, but warned that joint hosts the United States, Mexico and Canada must first agree to 10 conditions amid the ongoing Middle East war.

The announcement follows Canada’s refusal last month to grant entry to the federation’s president ahead of the FIFA Congress, citing his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — the ideological arm of Iran’s military, which Canada designated as a terror group in 2024.

Iran’s participation in the tournament, which runs from 11 June to 19 July, has been shrouded in uncertainty since war erupted in the Middle East in February following strikes by the United States and Israel.

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“We will definitely participate in the 2026 World Cup, but the hosts must take our concerns into account,” the Iranian federation said on its official website. “We will participate in the World Cup tournament, but without any retreat from our beliefs, culture, and convictions.”

Iran’s conditions

Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) president Mehdi Taj outlined the 10 conditions to state television on Friday, seeking assurances over the country’s treatment throughout the tournament.

The demands include the guaranteed granting of visas and respect for national team staff, the team’s flag and its national anthem. Iran is also calling for heightened security at airports, hotels and routes to the stadiums where they will play.

Taj specifically called for visas to be issued without obstruction to “all players and technical staff, especially those who have served their military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or IRGC, such as Mehdi Taremi and Ehsan Hajsafi.”

US and FIFA weigh in

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that Iran’s footballers would be welcome at the tournament. However, he cautioned that the US may yet bar entry to members of the Iranian delegation with ties to the IRGC — an organisation Washington also designates as a terrorist entity.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup fixtures in the United States as scheduled.

Iran, who will be based in Tucson, Arizona, during the tournament, are drawn in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt. They open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June.

“No external power can deprive Iran of its participation in a cup to which it has qualified with merit,” the federation said on Saturday.