FIFA Chief Says Iran Will Play World Cup Group Games in United States

FIFA president Gianni Infantino ruled out any schedule changes for Iran's 2026 World Cup group-stage fixtures, declaring the governing body expected the team to play its three matches in the United States as planned despite Iranian officials insisting that ongoing military strikes made that impossible.

"We have a schedule," Infantino said Thursday, adding that FIFA wanted "the FIFA World Cup to go ahead as scheduled." The statement came as Iran pressed for its fixtures to be relocated to Mexico, and as Iranian officials argued the team could not safely travel to the United States following military attacks on Iran by Israel and the U.S. since Feb. 28.

Iran was scheduled to face New Zealand on June 16 and Belgium on June 21 at the Los Angeles Rams' stadium in Inglewood, California, before concluding group play against Egypt on June 26 in Seattle. The World Cup runs from June 11 through July 19, with the United States co-hosting alongside Canada and Mexico.

Iran's Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali was unequivocal, saying "under no circumstances do we have the appropriate conditions to participate in the World Cup." Tehran's football federation went further, urging FIFA to eject the United States from the tournament entirely. In an Instagram post addressed to Infantino, the federation wrote: "Certainly, no one can exclude Iran's national team from the World Cup; the only country that could be excluded is one that merely carries the title of 'host' yet lacks the ability to provide security for the teams participating in this global event."

Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, separately urged FIFA to relocate the team's fixtures, saying the "best situation" for Iran would be to move its games across the border. A message on Iran's national team Telegram account framed the dispute in organizational terms, arguing that FIFA is the organiser of the World Cup and "not any single country."

Infantino acknowledged the limits of FIFA's authority while holding firm. "FIFA can't solve geopolitical conflicts," he said, adding that the organization remained "committed to using the power of football and the FIFA World Cup to build bridges and promote peace as our thoughts are with those who are suffering as a consequence of the ongoing wars."

After meeting with President Donald Trump, Infantino said Trump had "reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States." Trump's public statements complicated that position. On Truth Social, the president said Iran would be welcome to compete but that it might not be "appropriate" for the team to attend "for their own life and safety." Asked about Iran's participation the previous week, he had been blunter: "I really don't care."

FIFA's statement underscored its position, noting it was looking forward to all teams competing "as per the match schedule announced on 6 December 2025," the date of the World Cup draw in Washington, at which Infantino presented Trump with a specially created peace prize.

The standoff carried historic weight. No team had refused a World Cup entry since the 1950 edition, a 13-team event in Brazil staged amid the lingering chaos of the postwar era. Changing a team's schedule after the draw for political reasons would be unprecedented in the modern tournament. Iran, who qualified for a fourth consecutive World Cup, had already declined to send representatives to that Washington draw over a visa dispute with the U.S. administration. As of Tuesday, it remained unclear whether the country had formally withdrawn from the tournament.