With 72 days to go before the World Cup kicks off, FIFA cleared up one of the biggest uncertainties ahead of the tournament through the words of its president, Gianni Infantino: The Iran national team will participate.
The president attended the friendly match between Iran and Costa Rica in Turkey (5-0) and, during halftime, revealed that everything will proceed as previously planned, despite the current sociopolitical context.
Infantino confirms Iran’s participation in the tournament
The president of the International Federation of Association Football broke his silence regarding speculation that the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel would force a change in the plans already established for soccer’s biggest tournament.
“Iran will be at the World Cup; that’s why we’re here. We’re delighted because it’s a very, very strong team; I’m very happy. I’ve seen the team, I’ve spoken with the players and the coach, so everything is going well,” Infantino revealed (via GOAL).
“We know what the situation is-it’s very complicated. We’re working on it, and we’re going to make sure Iran plays in this World Cup under the best possible conditions. Iran represents its people and qualified on merit. It’s a soccer nation; we want them to play, and they will play in the World Cup. There are no Plan Bs, Cs, or Ds. This is Plan A,” he added.
This statement comes amid growing tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel, which had cast doubt on the Asian team’s participation in the World Cup-a tournament hosting 48 teams and set to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) raised the possibility of not playing in the tournament and of moving its matches to Mexico for security reasons. However, FIFA maintains its firm stance: the schedule and venues will not be changed, and the original draw-which places Iran in the group stage on U.S. soil-will be respected. The world football governing body insists on keeping the sport separate from political disputes:
“We cannot resolve these conflicts, but we do have the opportunity to unite the world. There will be 48 countries with millions of fans coming together in a spirit of peace and celebration. Our goal and mission is unity, building bridges for everyone,” said Infantino.
According to “Plan A,” Iran is in Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt, and all its matches will be played on U.S. soil.
Iran is scheduled to make its debut against New Zealand on June 15 at Los Angeles Stadium in California. Then, on the 21st, it will face Belgium at the same venue, before taking on Egypt on the 26th at Seattle Stadium in Washington.
Undoubtedly, the coming weeks will be decisive in determining how this situation unfolds.
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