Gianni Infantino has reaffirmed that Iran will definitely feature at the 2026 World Cup, despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Speaking at an economic conference hosted by CNBC on Wednesday, Infantino stated, “Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, which would definitely help.”
He emphasised the importance of the team’s participation, adding, “But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” referring to their scheduled fixtures in the United States this June.
The FIFA boss had earlier expressed the same stance in March during an Iran vs Costa Rica friendly in Antalya, Turkey. His remarks come despite previous concerns raised by Donald Trump, who suggested Iranian players might not be “safe” in the United States.
Iran is set to play all three of its Group G matches on American soil, including two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle, while the team will be based in Tucson for the tournament.
