FIFA Chief Gianni Infantino confirms Iran’s 2026 World Cup participation

WASHINGTON: FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that Iran will “definitely” participate in the 2026 World Cup despite the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Iran qualified for the 2026 World Cup in March 2025 by joining Asia’s top teams, but questions were being raised about its participation due to ongoing tensions with the United States.

Speaking at an economic conference organized by broadcaster CNBC, Gianni Infantino made it clear that sports should be kept separate from politics, he said that Iran is definitely coming to the United States, we hope that by then the situation will be peaceful, which will certainly help.

The FIFA president said regarding the team’s matches scheduled in the United States in June, Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified and the players want to play.

Infantino had expressed similar views during a friendly match between Iran and Costa Rica in Antalya, Turkey in March, but US President Donald Trump had previously expressed concerns that Iranian players would not be safe in the United States.

Iran is scheduled to play all three of its Group G matches in the United States, two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle, while its base camp during the tournament is in Tucson, Arizona.

Iran’s participation in the world tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, was in doubt after a dispute between the United States and Israel on February 28.

Iran had expressed the possibility of boycotting the competition and later requested FIFA to move its matches from the United States to Mexico, which the world body rejected. The World Cup starts on June 11.