The head of international soccer’s governing body said the war between the United States and Israel against Iran will not affect the 2026 World Cup schedule.
Published March 31, 2026
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has insisted that Iran will play its 2026 World Cup matches as scheduled at venues in the United States.
Earlier this month, the Iranian Football Federation announced that it was “in negotiations” with FIFA to move the World Cup from the United States to Mexico, citing the war between the United States and Israel against Iran.
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also said her country was ready to host Iran’s first-round match at the tournament if necessary.
The head of soccer’s world governing body said on Tuesday: “The match will be played at the scheduled location depending on the lottery result.”
The World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, will begin on June 11, with Iran scheduled to play New Zealand in their first Group G match on June 15 in Los Angeles.
They will then play Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21st and Egypt in Seattle on June 27th.
Iran’s participation had been called into question due to the war between the United States and Israel that broke out on February 28th.
At halftime of Iran’s friendly against Costa Rica on Tuesday, Infantino also moved to dispel concerns that Iran might not play in the next World Cup at all.
“Iran will be in the World Cup… that’s why we are here,” Infantino told AFP during Iran’s warm-up match in Turkiye.
“I’m very happy because they’re a very, very strong team. I’m very happy.”
Infantino, whose attendance at Tuesday’s game had not been announced, added: “I’ve seen the team, I’ve talked to the players and the coaches, so there’s nothing wrong with me.”
Infantino initially said U.S. President Donald Trump assured him that he would continue to welcome the Iranian team.
But President Trump said the Iranian team should not travel to the tournament “for their own lives and safety.”
Iran reacted to President Trump’s remarks, saying, “No one can exclude the Iranian national team from the World Cup.”
On March 19, Infantino said FIFA is committed to ensuring that the World Cup is held “as planned” with the participation of “all teams.”
“FIFA looks forward to seeing all teams participating in the World Cup compete in a spirit of fair play and mutual respect,” Infantino told an online FIFA Council meeting from Zurich.
“While FIFA cannot resolve geopolitical conflicts, we are committed to using the power of football and the World Cup to build bridges and promote peace, out of respect for those suffering as a result of ongoing wars,” Infantino added.
Iran also played a friendly match against Nigeria last Friday in the Turkish town of Belek.
On the first day of the Middle East war, Iranian players wore black armbands and posed with school bags on their backs as the national anthem played in memory of the victims of the Iranian elementary school strike.
An airstrike on a school in the southern Iranian city of Minab on February 28 killed at least 170 people, including students and teachers.
The New York Times reported that preliminary results of a US military investigation indicate that a US Tomahawk cruise missile hit the school due to misaiming.
