The question has been swirling around the football world since the start of the war in the Middle East: will the Iranian football team be able to compete in the World Cup? Yes, FIFA President Gianni Infantino assured on Wednesday. “Iran will be at the World Cup and will play its first-round matches on US soil as planned. “We are here for this. We are delighted because it is a very, very strong team, I am very happy,” he added at halftime of the friendly match between Iran and Costa Rica, which he came to watch near Antalya, in southern Turkey.
“I saw the team, I talked to the players, to the coach, so everything is fine,” he continued, specifying that “the matches will be where they should be, according to the draw.” According to the official World Cup schedule (from June 11 to July 19), Iran is scheduled to play its first round on US soil, co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada. After New Zealand (June 16) and Belgium (June 21) in Los Angeles, the Iranian team is set to play against Egypt in Seattle (June 27).
At the United States or Mexico?
After the outbreak of the war in the Middle East on February 28, Iran had, however, requested to play its first-round matches in Mexico. In mid-March, the head of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, had indicated “being in negotiations with FIFA for Iran’s games to take place in Mexico,” and not on American soil as previously planned.
The presence of the FIFA president for Tuesday’s match against Costa Rica had not been announced. He settled in the stands just before kick-off and posed for photos with several members of the Iranian federation.
