Gianni Infantino insisted on Tuesday that Iran national football team will “for sure” play at the FIFA World Cup in North America this summer, despite political tensions, safety concerns raised by Donald Trump, and uncertainty voiced by Iran’s own officials.
Infantino did not hesitate. “We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help.” He acknowledged the obvious risk, but he refused to let it define the tournament.
Then he drew a firm line. “But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.” That stance reflects FIFA’s long-held position. Qualification earns the right, politics should not erase it.
Infantino leaned into football’s role beyond the pitch. “They should play — sports should be outside of politics.” It sounds idealistic, but it also underpins FIFA’s entire argument.
He added a dose of realism. “We don’t live on the moon, we live on planet Earth… but if there is nobody else that believes in building bridges… we are doing that.” He knows the contradictions, yet he pushes ahead anyway.
Iran already secured qualification early and now face a fixed schedule. They open against New Zealand, then meet Belgium, before facing Egypt, all on United States soil.
That detail matters. Iran requested a switch to Mexico, but FIFA rejected it. The governing body wants consistency, even if it invites scrutiny.
Security remains the elephant in the room. “Security is obviously key, it’s crucial, it’s important,” Infantino said. He knows one incident could overshadow everything.
Yet demand tells a different story. “We received ticket requests from all 211 countries. Everybody’s coming and everybody wants to come.” That appetite suggests the global pull of the tournament still outweighs the fear.
Infantino framed success in simple terms. “A win would be that we have a successful World Cup from a security point of view, so no incidents.” That priority speaks louder than any marketing line.
“And from a football point of view, great matches, great games, excitement for the people.” Strip away the politics, and that remains the core mission.
