Iran will play their World Cup 2026 games at US venues as scheduled, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has insisted.
The Iranian football federation said earlier this month that it was “negotiating” with FIFA to relocate the country’s World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico, due to the US and Israel’s war with Iran.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also said that her country is prepared to host Iran’s first-round matches at the tournament if needed.
“The matches will be played where they are supposed to be, according to the draw,” the chief of football’s global governing body said on Tuesday.
The World Cup, being hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, gets under way on June 11, with Iran set to play their first Group G game against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.
They are then scheduled to play Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 27.
Iran’s participation had been thrown into doubt by the war with the US and Israel that broke out on February 28.
Speaking at half-time of Iran’s friendly match against Costa Rica on Tuesday, Infantino also moved to quell concerns that Iran will not feature at the next edition of the World Cup at all.
“Iran will be at the World Cup … That’s why we’re here,” Infantino told the news agency AFP at Iran’s warm-up match being staged in Turkiye.
“We’re delighted because they’re a very, very strong team. I’m very happy.
“I’ve seen the team, I’ve spoken to the players and the coach, so everything is fine,” added Infantino, whose attendance at Tuesday’s game was unannounced.
Infantino initially said that US President Donald Trump had given assurances that the Iranian team would still be welcome.
But Trump then stated that Iran’s team should not travel to the tournament “for their own life and safety”.
Iran hit back at Trump’s comments, saying that “no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup”.
On March 19, Infantino said FIFA was committed to making sure the World Cup goes ahead “as scheduled” with “all teams” taking part.
“FIFA is looking forward to all teams participating at the World Cup to compete in a spirit of fair play and mutual respect,” Infantino said from Zurich during an online FIFA Council meeting.
“FIFA can’t solve geopolitical conflicts, but we are committed to using the power of football and the World Cup to build bridges and promote peace as our thoughts are with those who are suffering as a consequence of the ongoing wars,” added Infantino.
Iran also played a friendly against Nigeria in the Turkish town of Belek last Friday.
Iran’s players wore black armbands and posed with school rucksacks as the national anthem played to remember the victims of a strike on a primary school in Iran on the first day of the Middle East war.
The air strike on the school in the southern Iranian city of Minab on February 28 killed at least 170 people, including students and teachers.
The New York Times has reported that the preliminary findings of a US military investigation indicate that a US Tomahawk cruise missile hit the school due to a targeting mistake.
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