How mistreatment and bias against Iran at US-hosted 2026 World Cup became FIFA's indelible stain

By Nima Tavallaey Roodsari

Much has been written and said about the shameful discrimination faced by Team Melli, Iran’s national football team, at the hands of the United States, one of the host nations of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

What is beyond dispute, however, is that a line was crossed during this tournament – one whose repercussions will be felt for decades to come.

For decades, FIFA has repeated the mantra that football and politics should never be allowed to mix. Regardless of how true – or untrue – that principle may have been in the past, FIFA’s own conduct over the past six years has demonstrated that the mantra no longer holds true.

FIFA decided to ban Russia and Belarus within days of the launch of the special military operation in Ukraine. It later stripped Indonesia of its hosting rights for the 2023 FIFA Under-20 Men’s World Cup. The immediate reason cited was the host country’s opposition to the participation of the apartheid regime of Israel.

Fast forward to April of this year, when FIFA effectively decided to invent international law by refusing to ban Israel despite its blatant violation of FIFA’s own statutes prohibiting the hosting of competitive football matches on occupied Palestinian territory.

The full statement on the decision regarding the proposal submitted by the Palestine Football Association read as follows:

"Following the submission made by the Palestine Football Association at the 74th FIFA Congress and the subsequent request made by the FIFA Council to the FIFA Governance, Audit and Compliance Committee (GACC) to investigate the participation in Israeli competitions of Israeli football teams allegedly based in the territory of Palestine, the following was concluded:

"FIFA should take no action given that, in the context of the interpretation of the relevant provisions of the FIFA Statutes, the final legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law.

“FIFA should continue to promote dialogue and offer mediation between the Palestine Football Association and the Israel Football Association at an operational level. In this context, FIFA will continue to facilitate structured engagement and monitor developments."

One need not be a distinguished legal scholar to recognize this as a brazen example of the politicization of football.

This is particularly striking given that even the official position of the US government is that the West Bank is Palestinian territory currently occupied by Israel, let alone the fact that this is a well-established principle of international law, as affirmed by the United Nations.

Back in March 2017, during the bidding process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Gianni Infantino declared: “Mr Trump is the president of the United States of America, and as such, of course, I have huge respect for what he does. He’s in charge, together with his government, to take decisions that are best for his country. That’s why he has been elected.”

“We are now in the process of defining the bid requirements. In the world, there are many countries that have bans, travel bans, visa requirements and so on and so forth. It’s obvious when it comes to FIFA competitions, any team, including the supporters and officials of that team, who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country; otherwise there is no World Cup.

“The requirements will be clear. And then each country can make up their decision, whether they want to bid or not based on the requirements.”

Fast forward 8 years and in August 2025 Infantino again stated: “I think it’s important to clarify this. There is a lot of misconception out there. Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year.

“There is a process to go through to get visas and so on. This process will be smooth…

⚽ Iran's message to the football world from Seattle dressing room:

"We have come from Iran…
From a land that for thousands of years has held honor above victory.

For us, football is not merely a competition for results;
it is a test of character..."@presstvsports pic.twitter.com/yJBRINnbAL

— Press TV Sports (@presstvsports) June 27, 2026

“We want to unite the world, and we will unite the world next year. The world needs occasions of unity, of bringing teams together, of bringing people together, of bringing fans together. 

“So again, everyone will be welcome, be positive and you will see it will be a great, great celebration of the greatest FIFA World Cup ever.” 

The bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup was, as is well known, awarded jointly to the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

What is equally clear, however, is that these requirements and obligations have not been fulfilled. To put it mildly. This is especially true in the case of Iran. After all, how else can one reconcile Infantino’s statements with the fact that:

• The refusal to allow Iran to base its training camp in Tucson, Arizona, as originally planned, forcing the team to relocate to Tijuana, Mexico
• The issuance of visas to Team Melli players only around one week before Iran’s opening match against New Zealand
• The denial of visas to 14 members of Iran’s backroom staff, including the president of the Iran Football Federation, team supervisor, match analysts, heads of security, and press and media officers
• The 4–5-hour delays at the border every time Iran entered the United States to play a match
• The refusal to allow the team to enter the United States more than 24 hours before its two matches in Los Angeles
• The absurd situation surrounding winger Mehdi Torabi’s visa, as he was initially issued only a single-entry visa, although the matter was eventually resolved
• The questioning and detention of all Iranian players at the airport, particularly Olympiakos striker Mehdi Taremi, who was held for 50 minutes before boarding the flight to the Egypt match
• The inability – or deliberate inaction – of the LAPD and stadium security to guarantee the safety of Team Melli supporters, who were assaulted, insulted, and harassed, with some allegedly subjected to sexual harassment, by members of the so-called Iranian diaspora in the United States
• The booing of Iran’s national anthem by the same clique
• The absurd media circus surrounding the so-called “Pride match”
• The insulting and dehumanizing questions posed by propagandists from NATO countries masquerading as journalists before the matches
• The team’s immediate expulsion from the country after each match, preventing the players from completing the standard post-match recovery process.

And the list goes on – prompting Iran and Olympiakos striker Mehdi Taremi to describe the tournament as a “disaster” for Team Melli.

The situation has become so egregious that even USA Today acknowledged it, warning in a report that it “sets a bad precedent” for future tournaments.

And that is the central point. By allowing these scandals to unfold, FIFA has shattered the veneer of impartiality it spent decades cultivating.

FIFA has now revealed itself as the sportswashing arm of NATO. Football, in turn, has officially become another front in the geopolitical struggle between NATO and the Axis of Resistance, together with its allies, China and Russia.

Nima Tavallaey Roodsari is a football journalist and podcast host based in Sweden. He tweets at @NimaTavRood

(The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of Press TV.)

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir