Fifa president Gianni Infantino has reiterated that Iran will take part in the 2026 World Cup in the United States as scheduled, despite the country's football federation failing to attend the governing body's congress in Vancouver. A three-man delegation travelled to Canada but one member, federation president Mehdi Taj, was denied entry at Toronto's airport, prompting the other two to boycott the event in protest.
Addressing the congress, Infantino said: 'Of course Iran will be participating at the Fifa World Cup 2026. And of course, Iran will play in the United States of America.' He argued that football should unite people in a divided world. The confirmation comes after uncertainty following US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran in February.
Iran are due to begin their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, followed by Belgium on 21 June and Egypt in Seattle. If both Iran and the United States finish second in their groups, they would meet in the last 32 in Dallas. However, concerns remain about immigration issues, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicating that some federation officials with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) may face problems.
Infantino also defended Fifa's ticket sales process, stating that 500 million requests had been received and 90% of inventory sold. He announced projected revenues of $14 billion (£10.3 billion) for the 2023-26 cycle, a 20% increase. The majority of revenue is reinvested into football, he added.
In his closing remarks, Infantino confirmed he will stand for re-election for a third full term at next year's congress in Rabat, Morocco. He was first elected in 2016 as a reform candidate and, under revised statutes, is eligible to remain in post for up to 15 years.
