FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed Thursday that Iran’s national team will compete in the 2026 World Cup, with all three of its group-stage matches set to be played on U.S. soil.
The decision all but ensures politics will follow the matches.
Infantino said Thursday at the FIFA World Congress in Vancouver, Canada:
“Let me start at the outset confirming, straightaway for those who maybe want to say something else or want to write something else, that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026. And of course Iran will play in the United States of America.”
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The backdrop is a period of heightened tension between the United States and Iran following a joint U.S.-Israeli operation that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this year.
Despite earlier speculation about potential venue changes, the schedule remains unchanged.
Iran will open its campaign on June 15 against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, followed by a matchup with Belgium on June 21 at the same venue.
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The team will then travel to Seattle to close out the group stage against Egypt at Lumen Field on June 26.
While the matchups are set, political complications are already unfolding.
Canadian authorities recently denied entry to a delegation of Iranian football officials, including federation president Mehdi Taj, ahead of the FIFA Congress. The move is tied to Canada’s policies regarding individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which it designates as a terrorist organization.
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FIFA acknowledged the situation but emphasized that host nations control their own border policies.
Hosting Iran’s matches on the U.S. West Coast, particularly in Los Angeles, home to one of the largest Iranian populations outside the Middle East, is expected to draw heightened attention.
For fans and officials alike, Iran’s inclusion in the World Cup is shaping up to be a real-time test of how far the world’s biggest sporting event can stretch under the weight of international politics.
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