FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that the Iran men's national football team will compete in the 2026 World Cup in the U.S. [3].
The confirmation resolves uncertainty regarding the team's ability to compete in a host nation with which Iran maintains severe diplomatic tensions. The move ensures that sports remain separate from geopolitical conflicts during the tournament.
Iran is currently preparing for the event with training sessions and inter-squad matches held in Tehran [1, 4]. These preparations come approximately two months before the tournament is set to begin [5]. A spokesperson for the Iranian government said the team is aiming for a "participación orgullosa y exitosa" [4].
Despite the official confirmation, the road to the tournament has been marked by diplomatic friction. Some reports indicated rumors that the administration of Donald Trump attempted to replace Iran with Italy in the tournament [2]. However, Donald Trump said, "No tengo problemas con que la selección masculina de mayores de Irán participe en la Copa del Mundo" [3].
Infantino said that Iran will play the 2026 World Cup in the U.S. according to the original plan [3]. The team has faced a lack of friendly matches leading up to the event, but continues to train in Tehran to ensure they are ready for the competition [1, 4].
The team's participation follows a period of significant speculation regarding whether the U.S. would grant the necessary visas, or if political pressure would force a withdrawal. With the FIFA president's confirmation, the logistical focus now shifts to the team's travel and final preparations for the 2026 [3] event.
“"Irán jugará el Mundial 2026 en Estados Unidos, conforme al plan original"”
The confirmation of Iran's participation underscores FIFA's commitment to maintaining the neutrality of the World Cup. By ensuring Iran can compete in the US despite bilateral hostilities, FIFA avoids a precedent where host nations could use visa restrictions or political pressure to exclude specific countries from the world's largest sporting event.
