Iran and FIFA Hold 'Positive' Crisis Talks in Istanbul — No Visa Guarantees Yet; Zurich Summit in 3 Days

FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom met with Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj in Istanbul on May 17 — a pre-Zurich diplomatic meeting held as Iran's squad was simultaneously preparing for a training camp in Antalya, Turkey. Grafstrom described the discussions as 'excellent and constructive' and said FIFA is 'looking very much forward to welcoming them to the World Cup.' Taj said he was 'pleased that FIFA listened to Iran's 10 raised points and offered solutions for each of them.' However, when pressed on whether Iran had received explicit US visa guarantees, Grafstrom declined to confirm specifics — the underlying crisis remains formally unresolved. Not a single US visa has been issued to any Iranian player or coaching staff member as of May 17. Iran's full Group G schedule remains at US venues: SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles (June 15 vs New Zealand; June 21 vs Belgium) and Lumen Field, Seattle (June 26 vs Egypt). The formal FIFA-Infantino-Taj Zurich summit follows on May 20 — three days away and 22 days before the June 11 opening match at Estadio Azteca. The June 1 final squad deadline is 15 days away.