During the Fifa Congress, organized in Vancouver on Thursday, the president of Fifa reaffirmed the presence of the Iranian team in the World Cup, starting from June 4.
Published on: April 30, 2026, 20:57 Updated on: April 30, 2026, 20:58 Reading Time: 1min
Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, reiterated on Thursday that Iran would participate in the 2026 World Cup and would play its three group stage matches in the United States as planned. The Swiss president opened the Fifa Congress on Thursday in Vancouver, Canada, stating once again that Team Melli would be present at the first World Cup with 48 co-hosting nations from June 11 to July 19 by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, despite uncertainty related to the Middle East conflict.
“To start, I want to confirm unequivocally that Iran will obviously participate in the Fifa 2026 World Cup. And of course, Iran will play in the United States,” said Infantino. The Fifa president had previously told AFP at the end of March that Iran would play in the United States, before repeating it in mid-April.
At the beginning of the conflict triggered by the United States and Israel on February 28, Iran had mentioned a “boycott” of the competition, before unsuccessfully asking Fifa to move its matches to Mexico. US President Donald Trump then suggested that Iranian players might not be “safe” in the United States, even if they were “welcome.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently stated that the players’ arrival did not pose a problem, unlike some delegation members.
The Iranian delegation canceled its presence at the Fifa Congress on Wednesday, citing insulting behavior from immigration police upon their arrival at Toronto airport, according to Iranian media. Canada has classified Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group. The president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, is a former member of this powerful entity.
According to the official schedule, Iran is set to play its three matches in group G in the United States: in Los Angeles against New Zealand (June 15) and Belgium (June 21), then in Seattle against Egypt (June 26). Their base camp during the tournament is supposed to be in Tucson, Arizona.
