Key Takeaways
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed Iran will compete at the 2026 World Cup in the United States.
- Iranian football officials were the only absentees from the 211 member nations at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.
- Iran’s opening match against New Zealand will take place in Los Angeles on June 15.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has insisted that Iran will take part in the 2026 World Cup in the United States. He made this announcement at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver on Thursday.
The confirmation comes during a period of political tension. The United States and Israel carried out air strikes on Iran on February 28. Because of this situation, officials from the Iranian Football Federation did not attend the congress. They were the only members missing from FIFA’s 211 nations.
Infantino addressed the delegates at the start of the meeting. He stated clearly that Iran would definitely play in the tournament. He also confirmed that their matches would take place on American soil.
“Let me confirm straight away that Iran will participate at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” Infantino said. The crowd cheered as he spoke. “And of course, Iran will play in the USA. We must unite people and bring them together.”
However, Iran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali disagrees with this plan. In March, he spoke on Iranian state television. He said the team would not travel to America. He described the US government as a “corrupt regime” and mentioned the killing of an Iranian leader.
Iran will begin their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. If both Iran and the USA finish second in their respective groups, the two sides could meet during the last 32 stage.
US President Donald Trump has also expressed concerns about Iranian participation. He previously stated it would be dangerous for Iranian players to compete in the USA.
Infantino responded to these tensions by saying football must build bridges during difficult times. He revealed that FIFA has budgeted $2.7 billion for development programmes between 2027 and 2030. This amount is eight times larger than before he became president.
The FIFA chief also defended ticket prices for the tournament. He explained that the organisation received 500 million ticket requests. This figure is ten times higher than the last two World Cups combined. He noted that while some tickets are expensive, affordable options remain available for fans.
Infantino stated that all revenue returns to football through grants for member associations. He said many countries could not operate football programmes without this financial support from the FIFA Forward initiative.