Not Messi and Ronaldo’s farewell appearances on the biggest stage. Not the battle between Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé and not Curaçao’s historic debut. The big story of the upcoming World Cup, at least until the knockout stage, is going to be Iran. The most loathed national team in the world.
Iran is going to turn the tournament everyone is waiting for into an endless sequence of geopolitical debates, statements, veiled threats and, above all, international-level cringe. Its “participation approval” announcement is already nauseating. The Revolutionary Guards’ national team is coming to the most enjoyable tournament in the world as if it were negotiating over its nuclear program.
2 View gallery
Iran's national team celebrates qualifying for the World Cup
(Photo: Murtaja Lateef/AFP)
“We will definitely participate in the 2026 World Cup... without any retreat from our beliefs, culture and convictions,” the Iranians wrote in their official statement confirming their participation, because apparently even reaching the World Cup has to sound like a speech at the U.N. General Assembly. They are also demanding that the hosts show “respect and appreciation” for state symbols and, of course, allow every staff member to enter the United States. Iran is not arriving as a guest, but as someone convinced the world must align with its demands. It forgets that it is not a global soccer superpower, and that its absence would not make millions of fans around the world weep. Nobody cares about Mehdi Taremi or the Persepolis stars adorning the squad of this fascinating team.
Instead of trying to get through the World Cup quietly, focus on what happens on the field and maybe even spring a professional surprise, Iran is looking for the next provocation. The statement that “no foreign power will influence it” is almost as unnecessary as a warmup match against Liechtenstein. FIFA’s president has already made clear there is no intention of excluding it. In the most dramatic scenario, if tensions with the United States continue, maybe some of its matches will be moved to Canada or Mexico. Somehow, the world will survive the fact that the riveting meeting with New Zealand does not take place on U.S. soil.
As for respecting state symbols, with all of Donald Trump’s instability, it is hard to believe anyone will prevent the Iranian anthem from being played. The boos, however, will be much harder to censor. And that is really the whole story: Iran wants respect, but arrives with political baggage meant for the talking heads in TV studios. It wants to be treated like any other national team while doing everything possible to remind everyone that it is not just another national team.
2 View gallery
Iranian national team players display photos of children killed in US attack, ahead of friendly match against Costa Rica
(Photo: Adem Altan / AFP)
And that is what will ruin the celebration. Not the quality of the soccer, not the 48-team format and not even the difficult match times. Iran will come to the World Cup with soccer equipment, and with an extra suitcase full of security and diplomatic headlines. FIFA is trying to pretend there is no problem. They sell the story that soccer unites people and countries, but deep down, FIFA President Gianni Infantino probably wishes this headache had stayed in Tehran. His friendship with Trump matters more, and the teams that bring the ratings are France and England.
And now people will turn on the television to see whether the Iranian players sing the anthem against New Zealand, and will try to analyze every facial expression as defiance of the regime or support for it. It was exhausting at the World Cup in Qatar, and it is exhausting now. Interest in the inner thoughts of the Iranian players will last exactly 10 minutes, and then it will become tedious. And maybe some of them will want to defect and create a huge drama around the delegation? Who cares.
First published: 12:57, 05.10.26