FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom held a constructive and positive meeting with Iran’s FA (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj on Saturday, he told Reuters, expressing confidence ​about the country’s participation at this year’s World Cup.

The Iranians are scheduled to play all three ‌of their group matches in the United States, but the team’s participation in the June 11 to July 19 tournament has been in question since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

“We’ve had an excellent and constructive meeting ​together with the Iran FA,” Grafstrom said during a visit to Istanbul. “We’re working closely together ​and looking very much forward to welcoming them to the FIFA World Cup.”

More questions ⁠have arisen after FFIRI’s Taj was refused entry to Canada for the FIFA Congress in Vancouver earlier ​this month because of his links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The U.S. and Canada, which are ​co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico, classify the IRGC as a “terrorist entity” and have made it clear they will not admit people with links to the elite military force.

Grafstrom declined to provide details on the visa situation for Iran’s players, ​but said the two sides had the opportunity to discuss some of the operational matters and had ​a positive exchange.

Taj told Reuters that FFIRI had a very good meeting with Grafstrom and other FIFA officials.

“I am pleased ‌that ⁠they listened to Iran’s points, all 10 points that we had raised, and they offered solutions for each of them. I hope, God willing, that our national team can go to the World Cup without any problems and achieve very good results there,” he said.

Asked if FIFA had secured assurances on entry and visa ​arrangements for Iran’s players, ​Grafstrom declined to elaborate.

“We’ve ⁠discussed all relevant matters, but I think it’s not the place to discuss the details,” he said. “Overall, a very positive meeting and we’re looking forward to continuing ​the dialogue.”

Iran had asked for their World Cup matches to be switched ​to Mexico, but ⁠FIFA President Gianni Infantino insists that all games must be played at the grounds originally scheduled.

Iran’s squad will leave Tehran for a training camp in Turkey on Monday before moving on to their U.S. base at ⁠the Kino ​Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, in early June.

Iran are scheduled ​to get their World Cup campaign underway against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. They are also due to ​play Belgium and Egypt in Group G.

-Reuters

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Resale prices for tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup have dropped sharply in recent weeks, raising fresh questions about fan demand and the affordability of the tournament ahead of next month’s kickoff.

According to recent figures released by Ticketdata.com, several high-profile group-stage matches have seen dramatic declines in secondary market prices over the past month.

The United States versus Turkey fixture recorded a 46 per cent drop in resale value, while Iraq’s clash with Norway fell by 54 per cent. The Australia against Turkey encounter experienced the steepest decline, with prices tumbling by 60 per cent.

The falling prices suggest that demand on the secondary ticket market is failing to match the ambitious rates initially set by sellers, forcing many to slash prices as the tournament draws closer.

The trend comes amid growing criticism of FIFA’s official ticket pricing structure, which many supporters have described as excessively expensive and out of reach for ordinary fans.

Tickets in FIFA’s primary sales categories reportedly began at more than $1,100 for lower-tier seats, while premium hospitality and lower-bowl packages reached nearly $3,000.

The sharp corrections in resale prices appear to reflect weak demand for those premium sections, particularly as fans weigh rising travel and accommodation costs across the three host nations.

Ticketdata.com also reported that the average resale cost of a group-stage ticket across the tournament has fallen by approximately 24 per cent over the last month, indicating a broader cooling of the market.

Concerns are also emerging within the tourism and hospitality sectors ahead of the tournament’s June 11 kickoff. According to a report by Newsweek, industry officials say hotel bookings for the summer period are currently below expectations despite major investments made by businesses preparing for a huge influx of international visitors.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the largest in the competition’s history, featuring an expanded 48-team format across 16 host cities.

Despite expectations of record-breaking attendance and commercial success, the latest ticketing figures suggest organisers and sellers may face growing pressure to make prices more accessible as the tournament approaches.

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 Tunisia left out captain Ferjani Sassi and key defender Yassine Meriah as new coach Sabri Lamouchi made expected changes on Friday when he named his ​squad for next month’s World Cup.

Sassi, who has played 101 times for Tunisia, ‌and Meriah, five caps away from a century of appearances for the North Africans, were both dropped from the squad.

Lamouchi, who was appointed coach in January after Sami Trabelsi was dismissed following ​Tunisia’s exit from the Cup of Nations in the last 16, overhauled the ​squad for his first two matches in March.

At the time, Lamouchi, ⁠who has had spells at Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City, did not reveal whether ​he was using the friendlies against Haiti and Canada to look at alternative options or ​whether he was seeking to build a new-look side.

Friday’s squad announcement suggests a mix, as there were surprise call-ups for 21-year-old Khalil Ayari and teenager Rayan Elloumi.

Ayari has been signed by Paris Saint-Germain but has yet to make the first team squad, while Elloumi has made ​only two starts in Major League Soccer with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Canadian-born Elloumi, 18, played earlier this ‌year for ⁠the World Cup co-hosts in a friendly against Guatemala.

The Tunisia squad also includes 32-year-old midfielder Rani Khedira, whose brother Sami was a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014. Khedira had previously rejected overtures from Tunisia to play for them, but in March ​switched his footballing nationality ​and debuted for ⁠the North Africans.

Tunisia compete at their seventh World Cup and are in Group F with Sweden, Japan and the Netherlands.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Sabri ​Ben Hessen (Etoile Sahel), Abdelmouhib Chamakh (Club Africain), Aymen Dahman (CS Sfaxien)

Defenders: Ali Abdi (Nice), ​Adem Arous (Kasimpasa), ⁠Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida (Esperance), Dylan Bronn (Servette Geneva), Raed Chikhaoui (US Monastir), Moutaz Neffati (Norrkoping), Omar Rekik (NK Maribor), Montassar Talbi (Lorient), Yan Valery (Young Boys Berne)

Midfielders: Mortadha Ben Ouanes (Kasimpasa), Anis Ben Slimane (Norwich City), Ismael Gharbi (FC ⁠Augsburg), ​Rani Khedira (Union Berlin), Mohamed Hadj Mahmoud (Lugano), Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley), Ellyes ​Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Reuters

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