FIFA president says Iran will play in men's World Cup and in Seattle

Tim Booth, The Seattle Times on Mar 31, 2026

Published in Soccer

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SEATTLE — FIFA president Gianni Infantino insisted yet again on Tuesday that Iran will participate in the men’s World Cup this summer, including its scheduled match in Seattle.

Infantino spoke to French news agency AFP while attending a friendly between Iran and Costa Rica that was played in Turkey on Tuesday.

“Iran will be at the World Cup,” Infantino said at halftime of Iran’s 5-0 victory, according to AFP. “That’s why we’re here. We’re delighted because they’re a very, very strong team; I’m very happy.”

Infantino continued that he had spoken to the players and coaches of the Iranian team and that Iran’s “matches will be played where they are supposed to be, according to the draw.”

Iran is scheduled to play Egypt in its final group stage match on June 26 at Seattle’s Lumen Field. Iran’s other two matches are scheduled to be played in Los Angeles.

The Iranian Football Federation has issued appeals to FIFA to have the match in Seattle moved. At first, it was because the match with Egypt falls at the beginning of Pride weekend in Seattle and was designated as a pride celebration match outside of the stadium by Seattle’s local organizing committee.

Iran and Egypt appealed to FIFA about participating in a match designated to be a Pride celebration as homosexuality is criminalized in both countries.

Iran later appealed to FIFA about having its matches moved out of the United States after attacks by the U.S. and Israel started on the country in late February.

“For us, what matters most are FIFA’s rules and regulations. We will comply with whatever FIFA decides. Every host country has made commitments to FIFA and must honor them,” Mehdi Mohammad Nabi, the vice president of the Iranian Football Federation, told AFP at the match.

AFP reported that before the game against Costa Rica, Iran’s players posed with photos of what officials said were young victims of the war, including those killed in an airstrike on a primary school in Iran on the first day of the conflict. Players also wore black armbands.

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