Infantino insists Iran will play World Cup 26 despite tensions

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said Iran will “for sure” participate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, pushing back on speculation that politics or security concerns could disrupt the tournament’s line-up.The comments raise the stakes for the organisers’ cross-border travel and security planning, since the expanded 48-team event depends on smooth movement of delegations and fans across the United States, Canada and Mexico.“The Iranian team is coming for sure, yes. We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. As I said, that would definitely help. But Iran has to come. Of course, they represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”Infantino linked his confidence to Iran’s qualification on sporting merit and said the players remain committed to competing, portraying FIFA’s role as keeping access open rather than allowing political disputes to shape participation.The issue matters commercially because uncertainty over qualification fulfilment can affect scheduling, venue operations, ticketing allocations, broadcast planning and sponsor activations, particularly for high-demand fixtures.Infantino’s position also signals that FIFA does not intend to develop a contingency process for replacing qualified teams based on host-country relations, even as governments retain control of visas and entry decisions.Iran are due to play group matches in the United States, which focuses attention on how tournament commitments interact with entry policies, security protocols and any additional scrutiny around official delegations.FIFA has repeatedly argued that major events should be insulated from politics where possible, but the 2026 tournament model relies on cooperation across multiple sovereign jurisdictions rather than a single host nation.The next operational test is whether hosts can provide clear, consistent travel pathways for teams and accredited officials, while also communicating realistic guidance for supporters from all qualifying nations.