The Iranian men’s national soccer team were one of the first teams to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, an event shaping up to be FIFA’s largest yet, not only in terms of footprint and participating teams but also commercially, projected to generate upwards of $11 billion in revenue.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino says that he has encouraged the Iranian players to continue inspiring their fans on the global stage.

Shahrdari Astara football club has been relegated to a lower division following a match-fixing scandal, according to a ruling by the Iranian Football Federation's Ethics Committee.