FIFA confirms Iran will play all 2026 World Cup group games on US soil despite tensions
FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed on Thursday that Iran’s national team will compete in the 2026 World Cup, with all three of its group matches to be played on American soil.
The decision confirms that politics will follow sports.
Infantino said Thursday at the FIFA World Congress in Vancouver, Canada:
“Let me start from the beginning to confirm, immediately to those who may want to say something else or who want to write something else, that of course Iran will be participating in the FIFA World Cup 2026. And then Iran will play in the United States of America.”
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The latter is a time of heightened tension between the United States and Iran following a joint US-Israel operation that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this year.
Despite earlier speculations about possible changes, the plan has not changed.
Iran will open its campaign on June 15 when it will face New Zealand at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, followed by a match against Belgium on June 21 at the same stadium.
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Players of the Iran national team pose for a team photo before the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Asian Qualifiers Group A third round match against Qatar at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on June 5, 2025. (Nushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto)
Draw assistant Shaquille O’Neal draws Iran’s card during the official draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on Dec. 5, 2025. (Jia Haocheng/Pool/Getty Images)
The team will then head to Seattle to close the group stage against Egypt at Lumen Field on June 26.
While the matchups are being worked out, political issues are already brewing.
Canadian authorities recently denied entry to a delegation of Iranian soccer officials, including confederation president Mehdi Taj, ahead of the FIFA Congress. The move is linked to Canada’s policies on people linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which it calls a terrorist organization.
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FIFA has acknowledged the situation but insisted that the countries that will host the games control their own border policies.
Hosting Iran’s games on the US West Coast, especially in Los Angeles, which is home to the largest Iranian population outside of the Middle East, is expected to draw a lot of attention.
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For fans and officials alike, Iran’s inclusion in the World Cup is shaping up to be a real-time test of how far the world’s biggest sporting event can stretch under the weight of international politics.
Iran’s players #21 Omid Norafkan and #14 Saman Ghoddos celebrate after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia zone A qualifying match between Iran and Uzbekistan, on March 25, 2025 in Tehran. (Photo via AFP) (Photo by /AFP via Getty Images) ((Photo via AFP) (Photo by /AFP via Getty Images))
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