By GRAHAM DUNBAR<\/p>\n
GENEVA (AP) \u2014 Iranian soccer officials are set to meet soon with FIFA in Zurich about their World Cup<\/a> games in the United States in June.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s top soccer official Mehdi Taj said on Friday \u201cwe have many issues to discuss\u201d on his return home from Canada where he failed<\/a> to attend FIFA\u2019s annual congress<\/a> held on Thursday in Vancouver.<\/p>\n FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstr\u00f6m has invited an Iranian delegation to its headquarters by a May 20 deadline, a person familiar with the proposal told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing sensitivity of the issue.<\/p>\n That target date in Zurich is three weeks before the Iran squad<\/a> is due in the U.S., staying at a training base in Tucson, Arizona, to prepare for three group games in Inglewood, California and Seattle.<\/p>\n \u201cOur position is that we will soon have a meeting with FIFA,\u201d Taj told Iranian media on Friday.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s difficult road to World Cup<\/p>\n Iran is an Asian soccer power but its ability and willingness to come to the World Cup has been questioned since the U.S. and Israel launched military attacks on Feb. 28. The tournament is being co-hosted by Canada and Mexico,<\/p>\n On Thursday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino opened his keynote speech to global soccer leaders \u2014 with only Iran missing of the 211 member federations \u2014 insisting again that Iran will come and play<\/a> as scheduled in the U.S.<\/p>\n At the White House later Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed his support for Iran\u2019s team, adding: \u201cIf Gianni said it, I\u2019m OK.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump and Infantino have closely allied<\/a> over the World Cup preparations which has challenges, beyond Iran with fans from several African countries, over granting entry visas<\/a> and security concerns.<\/p>\n Canada arrival issue<\/p>\n Taj and two more Iran officials had issues this week on landing in Toronto en route to Vancouver where they were expected at the FIFA annual meeting.<\/p>\n Taj, who is also a vice president of Asia\u2019s soccer body, detailed on Friday the problems with Canadian authorities though he said he was not deported.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Canada they asked us, \u2018Are you members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps?\u2019 We told them, \u2018In Iran, 90 million of us are IRGC,\u2019\u201d Taj was reported as saying in Iranian media.<\/p>\n After being detained for two hours at Toronto airport, the Iran soccer delegation which had arrived from Istanbul was told it could continue the journey.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was some discussion and he said, \u2018It\u2019s up to you,\u2019 and then we decided as a group to go back\u201d to Istanbul, Taj said. \u201cThey did not officially deport us, there is nothing labeled as deportation in our file, but in practice it was like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Taj had a valid visa to enter Canada after he was denied one by the U.S.<\/a> to attend the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5. At that event, Infantino presented Trump with the first FIFA Peace Prize<\/a>.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s World Cup games<\/p>\n Iran has World Cup group games against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, respectively, from June 15-26. The first two games are at the NFL stadium of the Los Angeles Rams and the third is at the Seattle Seahawks\u2019 stadium.<\/p>\n If Iran advances as runner-up in its group, the team could face the United States in the round of 32 at the Dallas Cowboys\u2019 stadium on July 3.<\/p>\n The Iranian soccer league shut down after the war started and is not due to resume before the World Cup. The squad played two warmup games in March at a training camp in Antalya, Turkey, where it could return this month to prepare for the World Cup that opens on June 11.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n