FIFA President Infantino confirms Iran will participate in the World Cup.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino stated on Wednesday that Iran will “definitely” participate in the World Cup this summer, despite the ongoing conflict with the United States.

The onset of the conflict on February 28 raised immediate concerns regarding Iran’s capability and willingness to honor a World Cup entry secured in March 2025 as one of Asia’s top teams.

The World Cup is being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with Iran scheduled to play all three of its group-stage matches in the U.S.

In early March, Iranian government officials expressed various concerns, suggesting that the team might not be able to compete in the World Cup, might face travel restrictions to the U.S., and proposed that FIFA relocate Iran’s matches to Mexico.

However, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed last week that FIFA had declined that request, with the governing body of world soccer affirming that the World Cup will proceed as planned.

“The Iranian team is coming, for sure. Yes,” Infantino remarked at CNBC’s Invest in America Forum on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

“We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be peaceful, which would certainly help. But Iran must come, as they represent their people. They have qualified. The players are eager to play.”

Chances of Iran participating in the World Cup in the U.S. seemed to improve at the end of last month when Infantino visited the team during a training camp in Antalya, Türkiye.

“I visited them two weeks ago; they were having a training camp in Antalya,” Infantino noted. “And they are very keen to play. They should play—sports should remain separate from politics.

“Now, alright—we don’t live on the moon; we live on planet Earth. But if there is no one else who believes in building bridges and maintaining them, well, we are doing that.”

The Iranian delegation is expected to arrive at its training camp in Tucson, Arizona, no later than June 10 for the tournament running from June 11 to July 19. Their first match is set for June 15 against New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. They will face Belgium at the same venue on June 21 before competing against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

If Iran progresses in the tournament, its knockout matches would likely also take place in the U.S.

Despite FIFA’s public assurance, U.S. President Donald Trump has made various statements, including “I don’t really care” if the Iran team participates, that they are welcome and players would be treated as stars, while also expressing concerns about the players’ safety.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.