FIFA President: Iran Will Play at World Cup Despite Tensions
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Iran would take part in the World Cup despite tensions and conflict with the United States. He was responding to comments by Iran’s sports minister and concerns raised by US President Donald Trump over player safety.
He said he hoped for a calmer situation but stressed that Iran had qualified and was representing its citizens. He added that the players themselves wanted to take part. After visiting a training camp in Antalya, Turkey, he said the team was determined to compete.
Infantino also said sport should remain separate from politics, while acknowledging that the reality was more complex. Iran is among the first teams to qualify and is due to play its group matches in the US against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt.
A request to move the matches to Mexico was rejected. The tournament, expected to generate more than $11bn, is also facing concerns over security and ticket pricing.
Infantino said demand for tickets was unprecedented, with more than 500 million requests submitted worldwide. He said the smooth running and quality of the matches would be the measure of success.