FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will participate in the World Cup tournament scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer, despite ongoing tensions with the United States and Israel.
In remarks published by the German Press Agency (dpa) on the sidelines of his surprise attendance at the Iran-Costa Rica friendly match in Antalya, southern Turkey, Infantino said: "Iran will participate in the World Cup despite the war raging in the Middle East."
Infantino said during halftime of the friendly match, "Iran will participate in the World Cup, that's why we're here. We're very happy because they are a very strong team, and I'm delighted to see them. We want Iran to play, and they will play. We have no alternative plans."
He pointed out that Iran represents its people both inside and outside the country, while the Iranian national team prefers to play its three group stage matches in Mexico rather than the United States, due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.
In contrast, FIFA's position on responding to this request remains unclear, despite Infantino's assertion that the federation is striving to ensure Iran's participation under the best possible conditions, while acknowledging that the current situation is "very complicated."
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