Fifa president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup in the United States as planned, despite the Iranian Football Federation's absence from the governing body's congress in Vancouver. Infantino's assurance came after a three-man delegation from Iran travelled to Toronto on Tuesday, but one member was denied entry to Canada, leading the other two to boycott the congress in protest.
Iranian media reported that the federation's president, Mehdi Taj, was turned away at Toronto's Pearson airport despite having a temporary resident permit issued by Canada. Fifa sources described the situation as regrettable but noted that entry decisions rest with Canadian authorities. Canada has listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity since 2024, and Taj is a former IRGC commander.
Infantino told the congress: 'Let me start at the outset by confirming straight away, for those who maybe want to say something else or 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.' He added that football must unite people in a divided world.
Iran begin their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, followed by Belgium on 21 June and Egypt in Seattle on 24 June. Should Iran and the USA both finish second in their groups, they would meet in the last 32 in Dallas.
Despite Infantino's confidence, concerns persist over potential immigration problems for Iran in the US. Secretary of state Marco Rubio said last week that players would be welcome but indicated that some federation officials with IRGC ties might face difficulties.
Infantino also addressed ticket sales, saying Fifa had received 500 million requests for tickets and sold 90% of the global inventory. He confirmed projected revenues of $14 billion for the 2023-26 cycle and announced his intention to stand for re-election at next year's congress in Rabat, Morocco.
