Vancouver (AFP) – FIFA President Gianni Infantino reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup games in the United States as scheduled as football’s power-brokers met in Vancouver on Thursday. Iran’s participation at this year’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States has been shrouded in uncertainty since the eruption of war in the Middle East in February following strikes by the United States and Israel.
Infantino, who has repeatedly stated that Iran will be at the World Cup, underscored that stance at the start of his address to delegates as FIFA’s 76th Congress got underway in western Canada. “Let me start by the outset, confirming straightaway that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026,” Infantino said. “And of course, Iran will play (in) the United States of America.” Infantino’s remarks drew swift support from close ally US President Donald Trump, who told reporters in the Oval Office he was “OK” with Iran’s participation. “Well, if Gianni said it, I’m OK,” Trump said. “I think let ’em play.”
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Iranian officials had floated the idea of shifting their group games from the United States to Mexico, but that proposal had already been nixed by Infantino. In a further twist last week, Italy-born US special envoy Paolo Zampolli was reported to have floated the idea of Italy taking Iran’s World Cup place. The US government later distanced themselves from that proposal, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Iran’s footballers would be welcome. But the tension surrounding Iran’s World Cup participation rumbled into the build-up to Thursday’s summit.
Iran’s delegation was the only absentee from the 211-member congress as Thursday’s meeting got underway after a clash with Canadian border officials earlier this week. Officials from the Iranian football federation (FFIRI) abruptly left Canada after landing in Toronto, abandoning their onward trip to Vancouver. Iranian media said FFIRI president Mehdi Taj — a former member of Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — and two colleagues flew home after being “insulted” by Canadian immigration officers. Canada, which designated the IRGC a terrorist organization in 2024, said Wednesday that individuals linked to the force were “inadmissible.” Iran, who are due to be based in Tucson, Arizona, during the World Cup, face New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in Group G. The Iranians open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.
– Infantino election boost –
FIFA supremo Infantino went into Thursday’s summit with his organization under fire over skyrocketing ticket costs for the World Cup, which one supporters group has branded a “monumental betrayal” of fans. Infantino brushed off those criticisms in his address, insisting that all revenues from the World Cup — estimated between $11 and $13 billion — would be pumped back into football development. “There are expensive tickets, yes, (but) there are also affordable tickets,” Infantino said. “And what is important is that all the revenues that we generate from the world go back to the entire world and finance football in all of your countries.”
Infantino’s close ties to US President Trump have also come under scrutiny. Advocacy group Fairsquare filed a formal complaint in December arguing that Infantino had breached FIFA rules concerning political neutrality by awarding Trump the inaugural “FIFA Peace Prize” during last year’s World Cup draw. However, Infantino received a huge boost to his hopes of securing re-election as the head of world football on Thursday after receiving pledges of support from the African and Asian regional confederations.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have both said they will back Infantino if, as expected, he stands for a fourth term in 2027. The African and Asian confederations account for 101 votes in FIFA’s presidential election out of a total of 211. Infantino has already secured support for re-election from South American football’s ruling body CONMEBOL, which is worth a further 10 votes.
© 2024 AFP
