Infantino confirms Iran will play World Cup games in US
FIFA President Gianni Infantino reiterated that Iran will play its World Cup matches in the United States as planned as he addressed the global football's annual congress in Vancouver (Kent NISHIMURA) FIFA President Gianni Infantino reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup games in the United States as scheduled as football's power-brokers met in Vancouver on Thursday. Iran's participation at this year's World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States has been shrouded in uncertainty since the eruption of war in the Middle East in February following strikes by the United States and Israel. Infantino, who has repeatedly stated that Iran will be at the World Cup, underscored that stance at the start of his address to delegates as FIFA's 76th Congress got under way in western Canada.
"Let me start by the outset, confirming straightaway that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026," Infantino said. "And of course, Iran will play (in) the United States of America. " Infantino's remarks drew swift support from close ally US President Donald Trump, who told reporters in the Oval Office he was "OK" with Iran's participation.
"Well, if Gianni said it, I'm OK," Trump said. "I think let 'em play. " Iranian officials had floated the idea of shifting their group games from the United States to Mexico, but that proposal had already been nixed by Infantino.
In a further twist last week, Italy-born US special envoy Paolo Zampolli was reported to have floated the idea of Italy taking Iran's World Cup place. The US government later distanced themselves from that proposal, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Iran's footballers would be welcome. But the tension surrounding Iran's World Cup participation rumbled into the build-up to Thursday's summit.
Iran's delegation was the only absentee from the 211-member congress as Thursday's meeting got under way after a clash with Canadian border officials earlier this week. Officials from the Iranian football federation (FFIRI) abruptly left Canada after landing in Toronto, abandoning their onward trip to Vancouver. Iranian media said FFIRI president Mehdi Taj -- a former member of Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) -- and two colleagues flew home after being "insulted" by Canadian immigration officers.