Infantino confident Iran will participate in 2026 world cup amid tensions
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has expressed confidence that Iran will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Speaking at an economic conference organized by CNBC, Infantino said he hoped the situation would be peaceful by the time of the tournament, adding that such conditions would be beneficial for all teams involved.
He stressed that Iran’s participation was important, noting that the country had qualified for the tournament and that its players were eager to compete.
“Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help,” Infantino said.
He added, “But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” referring to the team’s scheduled matches in the United States in June.
Iran is set to play its three Group G matches in the United States, with two fixtures in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. The team will base itself in Tucson, Arizona, during the tournament.
Infantino had made similar remarks in March while attending a friendly match between Iran and Costa Rica in Antalya, Turkey, despite earlier comments by former US President Donald Trump suggesting Iranian players might not be safe in the United States.
The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
