Infantino confirms Iran will play World Cup games in US
TL;DR
FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will play its World Cup matches in the United States as scheduled, despite previous uncertainties. The announcement was made during FIFA's 76th Congress in Vancouver.
Key points
- Iran will play World Cup matches in the US as confirmed by Infantino
- Iran's participation was uncertain due to Middle East tensions
- Trump expressed support for Iran's participation
- Iran's group includes New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt
Mentioned in this story
- Infantino election boost - FIFA supremo Infantino went into Thursday's summit with his organization under fire over skyrocketing ticket costs for the World Cup, which one supporters group has branded a "monumental betrayal" of fans. Infantino brushed off those criticisms in his address, insisting that all revenues from the World Cup -- estimated between $11 and $13 billion -- would be pumped back into football development. "There are expensive tickets, yes, (but) there are also affordable tickets," Infantino said. "And what is important is that all the revenues that we generate from the world go back to the entire world and finance football in all of your countries." Infantino's close ties to US President Trump have also come under scrutiny. Advocacy group Fairsquare filed a formal complaint in December arguing that Infantino had breached FIFA rules concerning political neutrality by awarding Trump the inaugural "FIFA Peace Prize" during last year's World Cup draw. However Infantino received a huge boost to his hopes of securing re-election as the head of world football on Thursday after receiving pledges of support from the African and Asian regional confederations. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have both said they will back Infantino if, as expected, he stands for a fourth term in 2027. The African and Asian confederations account for 101 votes in FIFA's presidential election out of a total of 211. Infantino has already secured support for re-election from South American football's ruling body CONMEBOL, which is worth a further 10 votes. rcw/bb
Q&A
Why was there uncertainty about Iran's participation in the World Cup?
Iran's participation was uncertain due to the ongoing war in the Middle East and tensions surrounding their delegation's entry into Canada.
What did Infantino say about Iran's World Cup games?
Infantino confirmed that Iran will participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and will play their matches in the United States.
Who supported Infantino's confirmation of Iran's participation?
US President Donald Trump expressed support for Iran's participation, stating he was 'OK' with it following Infantino's remarks.
What group will Iran face in the World Cup?
Iran will compete in Group G against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt, opening their campaign against New Zealand on June 15.
