FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed overnight that Iran will indeed participate in the next World Cup, to be held in North America. This announcement comes amid lingering uncertainty due to the geopolitical situation in the Middle East.
Participation confirmed despite concerns
Speaking at an economic conference organized by CNBC in Washington, Gianni Infantino was categorical about the presence of the Iranian team at the tournament. "Iran will come, that's for sure.", he said.
The head of world football did, however, acknowledge that the international situation remains a factor of concern in the lead-up to the competition. "We hope that by then (the start of the competition on June 11th, editor's note), the situation will be peaceful, which would really help.", he explained.
FIFA maintains its sporting stance
For Gianni Infantino, sporting qualification must take precedence. "But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they qualified, the players want to play."he insisted.
The FIFA president had already visited the Iranian national team during a training camp in Antalya, Turkey, at the end of March. He had also attended a friendly match of the team, reaffirming on that occasion his desire to see Iran participate in the world competition.
Questions related to the political context
The issue of security had been raised beforehand by the American president. Donald Trumpwho had estimated that the Iranian players might not be in "security" within the territory of the United States.
Despite these concerns, FIFA seems determined to maintain the participation of Team Melli, who qualified on the field.
Iran's program in the United States
Iran must play all of its Group G matches on American soil.
The Iranian national team will face New Zealand on June 16 in Los Angeles, then Belgium on June 21 in the same city. They will conclude their group stage on June 27 in Seattle against Egypt.
The team's base camp is planned for Tucson, Arizona, where the players are expected to stay for the duration of the competition.
An organization under surveillance
With less than two months to go before the World Cup kicks off, this confirmation puts an end to speculation about Iran's potential exclusion. It now remains to be seen how the international situation will develop, as FIFA hopes for a more peaceful environment to ensure the smooth running of the competition.
