FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup and play its matches in the United States [1, 2].
The decision addresses potential diplomatic and security hurdles regarding the Iranian team's presence in a North American tournament. Because the U.S. and Iran maintain strained political relations, the confirmation of venue assignments removes uncertainty about whether the team would be permitted to enter the country.
Infantino made the announcement during the 76th [1] FIFA Congress held in Vancouver, Canada. He said reporters that the Iranian team is coming for sure to the tournament [2]. The 2026 event is being hosted by three nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico [3].
"Iran will play its World Cup games in the United States," Infantino said [1].
The announcement came as the tournament approached, with 57 [2] days remaining until the start of the competition. Infantino said that the decision reflects the organization's goal of using the sport to bring different nations together despite existing political tensions.
"We must unite through soccer," Infantino said [3].
The assignment of matches to U.S. soil ensures that the Iranian squad will be integrated into the standard tournament schedule. This arrangement follows the established framework for the 2026 World Cup, which utilizes a distributed model across the three host countries to manage the expanded field of teams.
“"Iran's team is coming for sure to the 2026 World Cup in the U.S."”
This confirmation signals FIFA's intent to prioritize sporting neutrality over geopolitical conflicts. By explicitly assigning Iran to the U.S., FIFA is pushing for a diplomatic resolution to entry requirements and security protocols, asserting that the global nature of the tournament supersedes bilateral tensions between Washington and Tehran.
