Fifa president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, despite the Iranian Football Federation failing to attend the Fifa congress in Vancouver. Speaking at 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. The reason for that is simple, because we have to unite.'
Iran's participation had been cast into doubt after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on the Islamic Republic in February. A three-man delegation from the Iranian federation flew to Toronto on Tuesday, but one member, federation president Mehdi Taj, was denied entry to Canada. The other two delegates then declined to attend congress in protest. Fifa sources described the situation as 'regrettable' but noted that entry decisions rest with Canadian authorities.
Iran are due to begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, followed by matches against Belgium and Egypt. Infantino's assurance came despite concerns that Iranian officials with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) could face immigration problems. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that players would be welcome, but indicated that some federation members might encounter difficulties.
Infantino also used his address to defend Fifa's ticket sales process, revealing that 500 million requests had been received and 90% of inventory sold. He announced that projected revenues for the 2023-26 cycle had risen to $14 billion (£10.3 billion), a 20% increase on the previous cycle. Finally, Infantino confirmed he will stand for re-election as Fifa president at next year's congress in Rabat, Morocco.
