fifa president Gianni Infantino said Iran “will be at the World Cup” and that the team’s matches “will be played where they are supposed to be, the draw, ” in comments delivered Tuesday in Antalya, Turkey. The remarks come amid ongoing uncertainty over Iran’s participation tied to the US-Israel war with Iran and public safety concerns raised by US President Donald Trump earlier this month. Infantino also said he has spoken with President Trump about the situation in the Middle East, while maintaining there is no change to the planned schedule.
Fifa keeps schedule intact as Iran relocation talk surfaces
Infantino’s position was direct: Iran is expected to take part in the tournament and play its group-stage fixtures in the United States as scheduled. Iran is due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and June 21 respectively, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26, with the tournament beginning on June 11. The tournament is being hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Iranian football federation previously signaled it was “negotiating” with fifa to relocate Iran’s World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also said Mexico was prepared to host Iran’s matches if needed. Despite that, Infantino insisted the plan remains unchanged.
A fifa spokesperson separately said the organization is “in regular contact with all participating member associations, including IR Iran, to discuss planning” for the 2026 tournament, adding it is “looking forward to all participating teams competing the match schedule announced on 6 December 2025. ”
Immediate reactions from Infantino and Iranian federation officials
Speaking to AFP in Antalya on Tuesday, Infantino said: “Iran will be at the World Cup. We’re delighted because they’re a very, very strong team, I’m very happy. The matches will be played where they are supposed to be, the draw. ”
Infantino attended Iran’s friendly against Costa Rica in Turkey on Tuesday, a match Iran won 5-0. He said: “I’ve seen the team, I’ve spoken to the players and the coach, so everything is fine, ” emphasizing his view that preparations are on track.
Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, vice president of the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI), said Iran would follow the governing body’s decision. “For us, what matters most are fifa’s rules and regulations. We will comply with whatever fifa decides, ” he said, adding: “Every host country has made commitments to fifa and must honour them. ”
Nabi also said Infantino visited while traveling from Mexico to Qatar and that the two sides held a “fruitful discussion. ” He added that Infantino’s presence “provided the necessary support” to Iran’s national team and “has given our players a great boost. ”
Before Tuesday’s friendly, Iran players held photos of children killed in war as well as pictures of damaged hospitals and historical buildings.
Quick context on the dispute and safety concerns
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump posted that Iran would be “welcome to the World Cup, ” before signaling he felt the team should not be involved “for their own life and safety. ” Iran responded by saying it was the United States that should forfeit its place in the tournament.
Separately, Mehdi Taj, president of the Iranian Football Federation, stated that the men’s side will not travel to America this summer after Trump said he could not guarantee the team’s safety, in a message posted by the Iranian Embassy on X. The same message said Iran was “negotiating with FIFA” to hold its matches in Mexico.
What’s next
With fifa publicly holding the line on the draw and match locations, the next focus will be whether talks with Iran’s federation shift from relocation to operational planning for Los Angeles and Seattle. Infantino has said he discussed the Middle East situation with President Trump and has personally met Iran’s players and coach, but he has not indicated any alternative match plan. For now, the organizing stance remains unchanged: fifa expects Iran to play in the United States as scheduled.
