ZURICH, Switzerland — FIFA President Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Iran will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, dismissing uncertainty caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking to CNBC on Wednesday, the FIFA president said Iran’s qualification guarantees its place in the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
“Iran is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help,” Infantino said.
The participation of Iran had been thrown into doubt following a war involving the United States and Israel that erupted on February 28, raising concerns over travel, security, and diplomatic tensions ahead of the tournament.
Despite the geopolitical uncertainty, Infantino maintained that sport should remain separate from politics.
“Sports should be outside of politics,” he said. “If there’s nobody else that believes in building bridges and keeping them intact and together, we are doing the job.”
He added that Iran’s national team had earned its place on merit and should be allowed to compete.
“They represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” he said.
The 2026 World Cup, set to kick off on June 11, will be the first edition expanded to 48 teams and staged across three North American countries.
Matches involving Iran are scheduled to take place in the United States, a factor that has intensified speculation over whether diplomatic tensions could affect the team’s participation.
However, questions remain over logistics, including visa arrangements, security coordination, and potential political pressure from host nations, particularly given the strained relations between Iran and the United States.
The final decision underscores FIFA’s long-standing stance that qualification on the pitch should be the primary determinant of participation, even in periods of heightened international tension.
