Iran’s national team didn’t survive the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. But two Iranians are set to be among the most prominent figures at Sunday’s final, and neither one is there on behalf of the Islamic Republic.

Bijan Mortazavi, an Iranian violinist from the diaspora, has reportedly been selected to perform an 11-minute halftime show during the final match. Meanwhile, an unnamed Iranian referee is considered the frontrunner to officiate the game. In a tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the optics are striking: Iran’s government gets zero representation at the sport’s biggest moment, while individual Iranians take center stage on their own terms.

The diaspora takes the pitch

The 2026 World Cup is the first edition to feature 48 teams. Cultural programming has been a major theme throughout, with artists like electric violinist Rose Crelli performing at earlier group-stage matches.

Mortazavi’s selection for the final’s halftime performance, if officially confirmed by FIFA, would represent the highest-profile moment for any diaspora artist at this tournament. His career has been built entirely outside Iran’s borders.

The referee situation carries a similar subtext. Officiating a World Cup final is the pinnacle of any referee’s career. If the unnamed Iranian official gets the assignment, it would mark one of the most significant appointments in the tournament’s history for an Iranian, coming at a time when the country’s own team had already been sent home.