Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Iran will take part in the World Cup and will also play matches in the United States.

The FIFA president stated that Iran’s participation in the tournament is assured, with fixtures set to be held across multiple host nations, including the U.S. His remarks come amid ongoing discussions surrounding the logistics and arrangements for the competition.

Infantino’s comments underline FIFA’s commitment to ensuring all qualified teams compete at the tournament regardless of external circumstances. Iran’s involvement means they will be among the teams travelling to North America for the expanded World Cup format.

The United States is one of the host nations for the upcoming tournament, alongside Canada and Mexico, with matches scheduled to be staged across various cities. Iran’s fixtures in the U.S. will form part of the broader group-stage schedule.

Further details regarding match venues and group allocations are expected to be confirmed closer to the tournament draw.

Iran’s participation in the World Cup had been cast into uncertainty following the conflict involving the United States and Israel that began on February 28.

Earlier this month, the Iranian football federation said it was in talks with FIFA about the possibility of relocating the country’s World Cup matches away from the United States to Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also indicated that her country would be willing to host Iran’s group-stage fixtures if required.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino had initially suggested that U.S. President Donald Trump had provided assurances that Iran’s national team would be allowed to travel and participate. However, Trump later said that Iran should avoid travelling to the tournament “for their own life and safety.”

Iran responded strongly to those remarks, insisting that “no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup.”

On March 19, Infantino reiterated FIFA’s position, stating that the governing body is committed to ensuring the tournament proceeds as planned with all qualified teams taking part.

Speaking during an online FIFA Council meeting from Zurich, Infantino said FIFA expects all participating nations to compete “in a spirit of fair play and mutual respect.” He added that while FIFA cannot resolve geopolitical conflicts, it aims to use football and the World Cup as a platform to “build bridges and promote peace,” expressing sympathy for those affected by ongoing conflicts.

Iran also featured in a friendly match against Nigeria in Belek, Turkey, last Friday. During the game, Iranian players wore black armbands and held school backpacks while the national anthem was played, in tribute to victims of an airstrike on a primary school in Iran at the start of the conflict.

The airstrike on a school in the southern city of Minab on February 28 reportedly killed at least 170 people, including students and teachers. Reports from The New York Times suggest preliminary findings from a U.S. military investigation indicated that a Tomahawk cruise missile struck the school due to a targeting error.