FIFA president Gianni Infantino has assured that Iran will be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite the country's ongoing war with the United States. The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico between 11 June and 19 July.
Iran qualified for the FIFA World Cup in March last year as one of the top Asian teams. However, ever since the U-Iran conflict started on 28 February, there have been doubts about Iran's participation in the FIFA World Cup.
Gianni Infantino gives an update on Iran's participation
"The Iranian team is coming, for sure," Infantino said at the CNBC Invest in America Forum that was held on Tuesday in Washington.
"We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful one, which would definitely help. But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play," he added.
Infantino visited the Iranian football team members a couple of weeks ago and said he was impressed. "I went to see them two weeks ago, they were having a training camp in Antalya," Infantino said. "And they really want to play. And they should play -- sports should be outside of politics.
“Now, OK -- we don't live on the moon, we live on planet Earth, but if there is nobody else that believes in building bridges and in keeping them intact and together, well, we are doing that,” he said. Iran is in Group G for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and will first take on New Zealand in California on 15 June.
They will then face Belgium on 21 June at the same venue before travelling to Seattle to face Egypt on 26 June in their final group stage match.
Should Iran progress to the knockout stages of the tournament, their matches will likely be held in the USA itself.
