Iran’s Qom Official Rejects Ban on Foreign Players in Football and Futsal

DID Press: Ali Akbar Zareie, Director General of the Office for Foreign Nationals and Immigrants Affairs in Iran’s Qom province, has dismissed a recent decision by the provincial Football Association banning migrants from participating in football and futsal competitions, calling it “incorrect and personal.”

“This decision is completely baseless and personal, and it does not align with the national policies of Iran’s Football Federation,” said Zareie, speaking to Nabz-e Varzesh.

He stressed that there is no restriction on the participation of foreign nationals—especially Afghans—in any sporting discipline in Qom, including football and futsal. “If even a player from Brazil comes to Qom, would they be denied the right to play?” he remarked.

Zareie also cited a 2024 directive from Iran’s Football Federation that explicitly allows foreign nationals to compete in official matches, emphasizing that provincial associations must adhere to those national regulations.

The controversial decision by Qom’s Football Board, which barred migrants from playing in local clubs and tournaments, sparked widespread criticism on social media—coming just days after Afghanistan’s national futsal team triumphed in the Asian Championship in Bahrain.