Iran 'will be participating' at World Cup, including games in U.S., FIFA chief says - BERITAJA

More than a period aft Iran raised the anticipation of withdrawing from the World Cup complete concerns about the team's security, the president of soccer's world governing assemblage said Thursday that Iran will participate arsenic scheduled.

"Let maine commencement astatine the outset confirming, straightaway for those who possibly want to opportunity thing other aliases want to constitute thing else, that of people Iran will beryllium participating astatine the FIFA World Cup 2026," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Thursday astatine the FIFA World Congress successful Vancouver, Canada. "And of people Iran will play successful the United States of America."

The World Cup, which runs from June 11 done July 19, will beryllium hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Iran is scheduled to play successful Inglewood, California, connected June 15 against New Zealand and connected June 21 against Belgium earlier walking to Seattle for a June 26 matchup against Egypt.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks Thursday astatine the FIFA Congress successful Vancouver, B.C.Rich Lam / FIFA via Getty Images

The U.S. and Israel launched strikes connected Iran connected Feb. 28 that killed the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Only 2 days later, the president of Iran's shot federation told the Associated Press that pursuing the attack, "we cannot beryllium expected to look guardant to the World Cup pinch hope." Then, connected March 11, Iran's sports curate formed much uncertainty connected the country's participation.

“Given that this authorities has assassinated our leader, we cannot participate successful the World Cup. Our players do not person security,” Iranian sports curate Ahmad Donyamali said, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency, successful March. “Certainly, we do not person the anticipation of specified participation.”

Infantino has antecedently said connected societal media that he has lobbied President Trump about ensuring that Iran could return part. In March, Infantino posted connected Instagram that “we each request an arena for illustration the FIFA World Cup to bring group together now much than ever.” Yet an envoy to the Trump management has acknowledged that he raised the anticipation of replacing Iran pinch Italy, which did not suffice for the World Cup. An Italian charismatic later told Beritaja the thought was “not imaginable and secondly, not appropriate.”

Trump — whom Infantino awarded the "FIFA Peace Prize" successful December — has often changed his reside connected whether he wants Iran to play arsenic scheduled. "I really don't care" if Iran plays, he told Politico successful early March. Later that period he posted connected Truth Social that "The Iran National Soccer Team is invited to The World Cup, but I really don’t judge it is appropriate that they beryllium there, for their ain life and safety."

Last week, Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Iranian squad would beryllium welcomed to play successful the U.S., but that the U.S. would contradict introduction to anyone pinch ties to Iran's military.

"Nothing from the U.S. has told (players) they can’t come," Rubio told reporters. "If they determine not to travel connected their own, it’s because they decided not to come."