Iran
The US Homeland Security Secretary said he “danced for joy” after Iran’s World Cup elimination
Republican politician Markwayne Mullin said he had “interacted more with Iran than with any other qualified national team in the tournament.
United States ease security restrictions on Iran national team
A small change, on paper, opening the door for Team Melli to enter the country two days before matches, a shift that leaves them in far better conditions than those they have had so far.
The FIFA secretary said he had had “a constructive meeting with Iran’s Football Federation,” and that he is looking forward to welcoming them to the World Cup
Mehdi Taj, president of the Tehran Federation, also confirmed the positive outcome of this meeting.
“The Iranian players are still waiting for visas to go to the World Cup,” said the president of the Tehran Football Federation
There have been plenty of reassurances about the team’s departure for the USA, but in the meantime one of the conditions set for FIFA has not yet been met.
Iran has announced that it will participate in the World Cup, but only under certain conditions (some of which are quite complicated)
The issues will concern the entry of players, coaches, and executives who have had ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards. And not only that.
Donald Trump has been asked to bring Italy back into the World Cup instead of Iran, and it’s a very difficult but not entirely absurd hypothesis.
At the center of this story is Paolo Zampolli, an Italian-American entrepreneur and collaborator of Trump. There is also a political issue at play, following the break between the White House and Giorgia Meloni.