Iran Confirmed for 2026 World Cup, Says FIFA President Infantino
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Iran will “for sure” take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Speaking on Wednesday at an economic conference organised by CNBC, Infantino said Iran’s qualification must be respected and expressed hope that the political situation would improve before the tournament.
“Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, which would definitely help,” Infantino said.
“But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” he added.
Infantino had made similar remarks in March during a visit to an Iran Costa Rica friendly match in Antalya, Turkey. His comments came amid concerns previously raised by former United States President Donald Trump, who suggested Iranian players might not be “safe” in the United States.
Iran is scheduled to play all three of its Group G matches in the United States, with two fixtures in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. The team’s base camp has been assigned to Tucson, Arizona.
The country’s participation had earlier been cast into doubt following tensions in the Middle East after a conflict involving the United States and Israel, which began on February 28.
Iran had at one point raised the possibility of a boycott and later requested that FIFA move its matches from the United States to Mexico, a request that was rejected.
Following weeks of hostilities and retaliatory strikes, a fragile truce reportedly took effect on April 8.
However, recent developments have added further complexity, including Iran’s reported restriction of access through the strategic Strait of Hormuz and United States measures affecting maritime movement linked to Iranian ports.
Reiterating FIFA’s position, Infantino stressed that football should remain separate from politics.
“Sports should be outside politics,” he said. “If there is nobody else that believes in building bridges and keeping them intact, we are doing the job.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams, is scheduled to begin on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.