Iran Soccer Chief Demands US Respect IRGC or Forfeit World Cup Matches

Iran Football Association president Mehdi Taj demanded that the United States respect Iran's military institutions if the national team is to play World Cup matches scheduled in California and Seattle in the coming months.

Taj spoke after Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that while the Iranian team could compete on US soil, no one affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps would be allowed to enter the country. Taj served as a high-ranking IRGC member before taking a role in Iran's soccer program.

"We are going to the World Cup, for which we qualified, and our host is FIFA - not Mr. Trump or America," Taj said Tuesday.

"If they accept hosting us, then they must also accept that they must not insult our military institutions in any way. Because if they do, then naturally it could create the same kind of situation that happened in Canada, where there was a possibility we might have to return."

Taj referred to his trip to the FIFA Congress in Vancouver last week. Canada designates the IRGC as a terrorist organization, just like the US. Authorities canceled Taj's visa mid-flight and forced him to leave the country.

"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," he said in Tehran on Tuesday. "This is something they must pay serious attention to. If there is such a guarantee and the responsibility is clearly assumed, then an incident like what happened in Canada will not happen again."

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Iran will "for sure" play in the World Cup despite the conflict with the US.

A report said a Trump envoy asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup. United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the change to Infantino.

"I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament," Zampolli told the Financial Times. "With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion."

The Financial Times reported that the US pitched the idea in part to repair ties between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.