FIFA President Gianni Infantino has spent months promising that Iran would participate fully in the 2026 World Cup. The reality on the ground tells a different story.
Despite repeated public assurances, including confirmations on May 1 and again on June 10, Infantino has not secured full access for the Iranian soccer federation to attend World Cup games hosted on US soil. At least 15 Iranian support staff have been caught up in visa complications, forcing the national team to hold training sessions across the border in Tijuana, Mexico.
Football meets foreign policy
On June 10, he reaffirmed efforts to facilitate Iran’s attendance at all three of their group-stage matches, each scheduled to be played on American soil.
The optics are uncomfortable for FIFA. The organization awarded hosting rights to a consortium of the US, Canada, and Mexico back in 2018, knowing full well that US foreign policy could create friction with participating nations.
