7M - FIFA Chief Confirms Iran To Compete In 2026 World Cup Despite Tensions

Iran's men's national team will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed on April 15, 2026. Speaking at CNBC's Invest in America Forum in Washington, D.C., Infantino stated: "Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play."

The announcement comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions following the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war. Iran's sports minister previously declared the team could not participate, citing the assassination of their leader by what he called a "corrupt regime." U.S. President Donald Trump also weighed in on Truth Social, saying Iran would be "welcome" but questioning whether attendance was appropriate for the team's safety.

Infantino, who recently visited Iran's training camp in Antalya, Turkey, emphasized that the squad expressed a strong desire to compete. "Sports should be outside of politics," he said. "We don't live on the moon, we live on planet Earth, but if there is nobody else that believes in building bridges, well we are doing that."

Iran, one of the earliest teams to qualify, is scheduled to play all three group stage matches in the United States: against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The Iranian football federation had requested to relocate its matches to co-host Mexico, but FIFA denied the appeal.

With 57 days until kickoff across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, the tournament is projected to generate over $11 billion in revenue. Infantino noted unprecedented ticket demand, with more than 500 million requests from all 211 FIFA member nations. He stressed that security remains a top priority but expressed confidence in a safe, successful event. The last instance of a national team withdrawing from a World Cup occurred in 1950.