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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday that Iran will “definitely” play this summer’s World Cup despite the ongoing war involving the United States.
The conflict in the Middle East raised the question of whether Iran, who qualified for the World Cup starting in June in the United States, Mexico and Canada, would still participate under the circumstances.
All three of Iran’s group stage matches are scheduled to be played in the United States. That remains the case after Iranian government officials suggested to FIFA that their matches be moved to Mexico because they could not travel to the United States
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the Semafor World Economy 2026 conference in Washington, DC, on April 15, 2026. (Kent Nishimura/AFP)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed FIFA’s rejection of Iran’s request, insisting that Iran play where it is scheduled – SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Lumen Field in Seattle.
According to Infantino, Iran is following the original schedule.
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“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” Infantino said during the CNBC Invest in America Forum on Tuesday in Washington, DC
“We hope that by then the situation will of course be a peaceful situation. That would certainly help. But Iran will of course come. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”
Infantino visited the Iranian national team in Turkey, where it has its training camp.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an international friendly match between Mexico and Portugal at the Banorte Stadium in Mexico City on March 28, 2026. (Antonio Torres/FIFA/Getty Images)
“They had a training camp in Antalya,” Infantino added of his trip last month to visit the team. “And they really want to play. And they must play. Sports must be outside of politics.
Iran are scheduled to play at the SoFi Stadium against New Zealand on June 16 to begin their tournament. It will also play Belgium at the stadium before finishing the group stage against Mo Salah and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
FIFA president says Trump reiterated IRAN ‘WELCOME TO COMPETE’ AT US WORLD CUP AMID MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT
President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last month that Iran would be welcome to compete in the World Cup as planned, although it may not be “appropriate” given the conflict.
“Iran’s national soccer team is welcome at the World Cup, but I really don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be there for their own lives and safety,” he wrote.
Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A match against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium March 25, 2025 in Tehran, Iran. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
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Trump also told Politico, “I really don’t care,” when asked about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Infantino, who has a strong relationship with Trump, said Trump has “reiterated” to him that the United States welcomes Iran’s team to compete.
