Infantino confirms WC 2026 schedule amid Iran-US conflict fears

FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirms the 2026 World Cup will proceed as planned, despite Iran's participation uncertainty due to conflicts. Iran has expressed security concerns about playing in the US and is negotiating to move games to Mexico.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will proceed as scheduled, despite uncertainties surrounding Iran's participation due to regional conflict with Israel and the United States. The United States will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and Mexico. The tournament will feature 104 matches, beginning at Mexico City Stadium on June 11. The grand finale will be hosted at the New Jersey Stadium on 19 July. Iran, which qualified for the 48-team tournament are slotted in Group G. Iran are scheduled to play its FIFA World Cup fixtures in Los Angeles and Seattle. They will face Belgium, New Zealand, and Egypt. However, due to regional conflict, their participation has cast uncertainty on US soil.

With Iran's participation uncertain, President Infantino expressed that all 48 teams will take part in the tournament and play with mutual respect. "FIFA is looking forward to all teams participating at the World Cup to compete in a spirit of fair play and mutual respect," Infantino said during an online FIFA Council meeting from Zurich, as quoted by France24. "We have a schedule. We will soon have the 48 competing teams confirmed, and we want the World Cup to go ahead as scheduled," the FIFA President added.

Iran Seeks to Relocate Matches Citing Security Concerns

FIFA President's comments came just a few days after Mehdi Taj, who is President of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI), said that Iran is in talks with FIFA to relocate its World Cup 2026 group matches to Mexico instead in USA, citing serious concerns about the team's security and political tensions surrounding the tournament.

In a post on X, Taj stated that US President Donald Trump has explicitly indicated that he cannot ensure the safety of the Iranian national team, a remark that has deepened Tehran's apprehensions about travelling to the US for World Cup fixtures. "When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America/We are currently negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran's matches in the World Cup in Mexico," he said in a post on X. 🔹مهدی تاج رئیس فدراسیون فوتبال ایران: وقتی ترامپ صراحتأ اعلام کرده است که نمی‌تواند امنیت تیم ملی ایران را تأمین کند، قطعا به آمریکا سفر نمی‌کنیم/در حال مذاکره با فیفا هستیم تا مسابقات ایران در جام جهانی، در کشور مکزیک برگزار شود — Embajada de Irán en México (@IraninMexico) March 16, 2026

Minister Cites Assassination of Supreme Leader as Reason to Boycott

Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali also said that the country cannot participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the United States killed the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reported Al Jazeera, citing Reuters. "Considering that this corrupt regime [the US] has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup," Ahmad Donyamali told state television, according to the report. (ANI)

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