Iran will play its World Cup 2026 matches in the United States as planned, FIFA President Gianni Infantino says, despite calls to move the matches on account of tensions in the region.
The match fixtures, scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19, are to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Earlier this week, the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) called for Iran’s three Group G fixtures to be relocated from the United States to Mexico.
This is in response to the recent tense political and armed conflict, with Iran citing that the United States has participated in regional attacks alongside Israel.
It was also reported by the FFIRI that it had been in talks with FIFA about a potential relocation.
Meanwhile, the sports ministry in Iran has barred national and provincial teams from visiting countries it deems enemies of the state, adding to the complexity of the issue.
But Infantino dismissed any potential for changes to the match locations, noting that games would follow the locations decided for the matches.
He said that during a visit to Türkiye, where he watched Iran defeat Costa Rica by 5-0 in a friendly match.
Iran, which qualified for the competition last year, will play all their group-stage games in the United States: two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
They will face Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand in Group G.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that while the Iranian squad would be permitted to play, he also mentioned that any concerns that arise for their safety will not be from the US.
Infantino spoke to the Iranian team and offered support for any needs to prepare or travel for the tournament, but did not have anything to say about the war itself.
Also read: Iran pushes to move FIFA WC matches from US to Mexico
