FIFA President Gianni Infantino has declared with confidence that Iran will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held jointly across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, dismissing concerns raised by Iranian officials and brushing aside calls to relocate the team's matches away from American soil.

Speaking to US business news outlet CNBC, Infantino said the Iranian national team — known as Team Melli — would travel to the United States "for sure." His remarks come after Iran's sports minister stated the country could not participate given the ongoing military conflict involving Iran, the US, and Israel, and after US President Donald Trump publicly expressed concern for Iranian players' "life and safety." Despite those signals, Infantino was unequivocal: "Iran has to come. Of course, they represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play."

Iranian officials have repeatedly requested that the team's group stage fixtures be moved to Mexico, one of the three co-host nations. FIFA has ruled that out, citing logistical constraints and pledging to guarantee the safety of Iranian players and staff. The geopolitical backdrop adds urgency to those assurances: a Pakistan-brokered two-week ceasefire in the conflict is due to expire around April 22, and Infantino acknowledged the fragility of the situation while expressing hope that "the situation will be a peaceful situation" by that point. He also revealed he had recently visited the Iranian squad at its training camp in Antalya, Turkey, describing the players as eager to compete. "They should play — sports should be outside of politics," he said.

Iran, one of the earliest teams to secure qualification for the tournament, are scheduled to play all three of their group stage matches on the US West Coast. They open against New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles, face Belgium on June 21, also in Los Angeles, and conclude the group stage against Egypt on June 26 in Seattle. Any knockout matches would also take place on US soil.

The situation highlights the growing tension between sporting governance and geopolitics. FIFA, which has previously been criticised for its handling of politically sensitive tournaments, is positioning itself as a bridge-builder — but the coming weeks will test whether that role can hold as diplomatic and military pressures continue to mount.