Gianni Infantino tells Fifa congress that Iran will play at World Cup in US as planned

Fifa president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup, with their games set to take place in the United States as planned.

“Let me start at the outset confirming, straight away, for those who want to say something else or write something else, that of course Iran will be participating at the Fifa World Cup 2026. And of course Iran will play in the United States of America,” Infantino said, to kick off his comments at Fifa’s annual congress in Vancouver.

The United States is set to host Iran’s three group games at this summer’s tournament. Iran play New Zealand on 15 June and Belgium on 21 June in Los Angeles, before finishing group play against Egypt in Seattle five days later.

Iran’s place in the 2026 World Cup has been uncertain at the best of times given strained relations between the country and the United States, which is co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada.

Iran appeared on Donald Trump’s travel ban list in January 2026, with nationals subject to stringent visa restrictions. Exceptions ostensibly apply to players and officials on the World Cup team, but visa issues have persisted. Three members of the Iranian delegation were denied visas for the World Cup draw in December before the decision was reversed and they attended as planned. Iran did not attend Thursday’s Fifa congress after its delegation was denied entry to Canada.

Iran’s World Cup participation was thrown into doubt following the United States and Israel’s attacks on the country on 28 February. The strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader, and several other top officials, and resulted in a war between the countries that has yet to fully subside.

Trump said in the immediate aftermath of the attacks that he “really does not care” if Iran participate in the World Cup, after a statement from Iran football federation chief Mehdi Taj that cast doubt on their ability to play. Days later, Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, said that “under no circumstances” would the team play at the tournament, while Trump said that “for their own life and safety” it would be better if they did not play in the tournament.