Pressmediaofindia
Related Articles
25-04-2026
TEHRAN: Iran says that the country’s institutions are fully prepared for its national football team’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
In a statement made to state broadcaster IRIB, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Wednesday that the Ministry of Youth and Sports ensured all necessary arrangements for the team’s effective participation in the tournament.
She also said the preparations were made under the directive of the sport minister, with a focus on providing the required facilities for a successful performance.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on April 16 that Iran is expected to participate in the upcoming World Cup, taking place from June 11 to July 19, noting that the team has qualified and expressed its willingness to compete despite the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran but “Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” he said of the Iranian team’s upcoming matches scheduled in the United States in June.
“Sports should be outside of politics,” Infantino said.
Group matches in the US
US President Donald Trump said in March that while Iran’s team would be welcome at the tournament, he questioned whether it would be appropriate for them to attend, citing concerns over their “life and safety”.
Iran is scheduled to play its three Group G matches in the United States two in Los Angeles, one in Seattle with their base for the tournament in Tucson, Arizona.
Iran’s participation in the global tournament being cohosted by the three North American countries had been thrown into doubt by the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.
Iran raised the prospect of a “boycott” of the competition before asking FIFA to move its matches from the United States to Mexico, a request the world governing body rejected.
After several weeks of air strikes on Iran and Iranian reprisals against Israel and other countries in the region, a fragile truce came into effect on April 8.
The announcement of the two-week ceasefire was followed by rare direct talks in Islamabad on April 11–12, which ended without an agreement. The ceasefire was later extended by the US as diplomatic efforts continue.
The World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams, starts on June 11.
Last week: FIFA has turned down Iran’s request to relocate its World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico, citing logistical impediments, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirms.
Iran’s Football Federation (FFIRI) asked the sport’s global governing body to move its games out of the US last month, but FIFA said all World Cup fixtures will go ahead as scheduled, dismissing the possibility of Mexico hosting the Iranian team.
Sheinbaum reiterated FIFA’s stance on Friday, saying the matches will be played in the US as planned.
“FIFA ultimately decided that the matches cannot be moved from their original venues,” Sheinbaum said at a news conference in Mexico City.
“It (relocation) would make logistics too complicated, and this decision was taken by FIFA,” she said.
FIFA did not respond to media request for comment on confirmation of host venues for Iran’s games.
The US and Israel launched a war on Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and 168 people at a girls school on the first day.
Tehran responded by striking Israeli and US military bases in the Middle East with missiles and drones. (Int’l News Desk)
