Mehdi Mohammed Nabi
FFIRI secretary general; led Iran's delegation at Antalya talks with Infantino in April 2026.
Last refreshed: 15 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
As FFIRI's operational chief, what is Nabi's next step after FIFA's Antalya rejection?
Timeline for Mehdi Mohammed Nabi
Led FFIRI delegation at Antalya; post-meeting statement avoided mention of relocation
2026 FIFA World Cup: Infantino tells Iran in Antalya: you will play- Who led Iran's talks with FIFA about the World Cup?
- FFIRI secretary general Mehdi Mohammed Nabi led the Iranian delegation, alongside president Omid Jamali and coach Amir Ghalenoei, in Antalya on 31 March – 1 April 2026.Source: Lowdown reporting
- What did FIFA tell Iran at the Antalya meeting?
- FIFA president Infantino told the Iranian delegation 'Iran will be at the World Cup' and offered a pre-tournament training camp in Turkey. He confirmed FIFA cannot relocate matches once the schedule is published.Source: Lowdown reporting
- What is the FFIRI?
- The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) is Iran's national football governing body, responsible for the national squad and FIFA relations. Its president is Omid Jamali.
Background
Mehdi Mohammed Nabi travelled to Antalya, Turkey on 31 March and 1 April 2026 as part of Iran's three-person delegation for direct talks with FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Infantino told the delegation that 'Iran will be at the World Cup' and offered a pre-tournament training camp in Turkey as a concession rather than match relocation. Nabi, as FFIRI secretary general, is the federation's operational lead in the ongoing negotiations with FIFA.
Mehdi Mohammed Nabi serves as secretary general of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), the administrative counterpart to FFIRI president Omid Jamali. The secretary general runs day-to-day federation operations, manages FIFA correspondence, and coordinates international travel and logistics for the national squad.
Nabi's presence in Antalya alongside Jamali and head coach Amir Ghalenoei signals that Iran's response to FIFA's final rejection of match relocation is being managed at the highest federation level. Iran has received no formal written FIFA response to its original relocation request, leaving FFIRI's next move — whether to accept Infantino's World Cup assurance or escalate — as the key decision for Nabi and Jamali.
