Iran 'will be participating' at World Cup, including games in U.S., FIFA chief says
FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup, including matches in the United States, despite earlier concerns over security following a U.S. strike that killed Iran's Supreme Leader. Iranian officials had previously expressed doubts about participating due to safety concerns and political tensions. The tournament will be jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with Iran scheduled to play games in California and Washington state.
- ▪FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that Iran will take part in the 2026 World Cup, including games in the United States.
- ▪Iran's participation was in question after a U.S. strike killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, 2026.
- ▪Iranian officials, including Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali, stated the team could not participate due to security concerns.
- ▪The U.S. government, including President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said the Iranian team would be welcome but would deny entry to those linked to Iran's military.
- ▪Iran is scheduled to play against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in the group stage, with matches in Inglewood and Seattle.
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World CupIran 'will be participating' at World Cup, including games in U.S., FIFA chief saysGianni Infantino's announcement comes more than a month after Iran raised the possibility that it would not play Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Iran's Omid Norafkan and Saman Ghoddos celebrate their victory in a World Cup qualifier against Uzbekistan on March 25, 2025 in Tehran.AFP via Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 30, 2026, 3:30 PM EDTBy Andrew GreifMore than a month after Iran raised the possibility of withdrawing from the World Cup over concerns about the team's security, the president of soccer's global governing body said Thursday that Iran will participate as scheduled.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and…
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