VANCOUVER, British Columbia — On Thursday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino reaffirmed that Iran will participate in the World Cup and will play its scheduled matches in the United States.
“Certainly, Iran will take part in the FIFA World Cup 2026, and they will play in the United States of America,” he stated during his opening remarks at the FIFA Congress. “This is important because we need to unite and bring people together. It’s my responsibility to ensure that happens.”
This statement comes after reports that Iran’s delegation was denied entry into Canada for the congress. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand later described the denial as “unintentional.”
On Thursday, a source informed ESPN that while two Iranian delegates were permitted entry, they opted not to attend after one member was turned away by Canadian immigration authorities.
The source also mentioned that FIFA had requested Iran to ensure their presence at the Congress despite the immigration difficulties, but when delegates were called, Iran was marked as “absent.”
In light of these events, Infantino affirmed Iran’s participation, stating that “there are no suspended member associations, nor any grounds for expulsion.”
Trump had previously welcomed Iran to compete in the FIFA World Cup in the U.S. but had cautioned the team regarding participation for “their own life and safety,” referencing the ongoing conflict with the country.
Discussions regarding Iran’s involvement or matches outside the U.S. did not take place during the Asian Football Confederation Congress where Infantino was present, likely due to the current tensions between the nations.
Infantino had previously dismissed the possibility of Iran hosting its games in Mexico or Canada and ruled out any potential substitute nations for the World Cup.
Iran is set to commence its World Cup Group G campaign on June 15 against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, followed by matches against Egypt in Seattle and Belgium back in Inglewood.