Kamal Ghorui
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Iran will take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East, stressing that football must remain separate from politics. Speaking at a CNBC-hosted economic conference on Wednesday, Infantino said, “Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help,” “But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” he added as the team’s upcoming matches scheduled in the United States in June. Iran’s participation had come under uncertainty following the conflict involving the United States and Israel earlier this year. The team had even considered a boycott and requested that their matches be moved out of the United States, a proposal FIFA ultimately rejected. The Asian side is scheduled to play its Group G matches in the United States, two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle, while being based in Tucson, Arizona during the tournament.Tensions escalated after the February 28 conflict, followed by weeks of air strikes and retaliatory actions. Although a fragile truce came into effect on April 8, geopolitical strains remain, including restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz and US-imposed maritime measures involving Iranian ports.Infantino had made similar comments in March, when he attended an Iran-Costa Rica friendly in Antalya, Turkey, even though US President Donald Trump had previously suggested that Iranian players might not be “safe” in the United States.Despite the backdrop, Infantino reiterated FIFA’s stance on keeping sport above political conflicts. “Sports should be outside of politics. “If there’s nobody else that believes in building bridges and keeping them intact and together, we are doing the job,” he said. The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the first edition to feature 48 teams and is scheduled to begin on June 11.
