President Gianni Infantino, at the recent FIFA Congress, confirmed that Iran will be participating in the upcoming World Cup. He also confirmed that the team will play its matches in the United States, despite current political tensions between the two nations.
Infantino emphasised the unifying power of football. "And the reason for that is very simple, dear friends, is because we have to unite. We have to bring people together. It is my responsibility. It is our responsibility. Football unites the world. FIFA unites the world. You unite the world. We unite the world."
The World Cup is set to kick off on June 11 and conclude on July 19, with games hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Challenges and delays for Iran
Notably, representatives from the Iranian football federation faced issues entering Canada this week.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said that Iranian officials were turned away, a report initially shared by Tasnim, an Iranian news agency. According to Tasnim, the president of the Iranian football federation, Mehdi Taj, and two other officials were denied entry at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Earlier in the week, at the Asian Football Confederation's congress in Vancouver, discussions about Iran's World Cup presence or the potential relocation of their matches away from the US were not on the agenda.
During the roll call at the FIFA Congress, where all member nations were announced, Iran's presence was noted as absent. Outside the Vancouver Convention Centre, a small group of protesters gathered, holding Iranian flags.
Despite the complications, President Infantino has remained firm on Iran's participation in the World Cup and their scheduled matches within the US. Iran had previously requested to move their games to Mexico, a proposal that was ultimately declined.
If Iran decide to withdraw from the World Cup, it will lose out on a substantial participation fee. FIFA recently announced an additional $100 million in funding for participating nations. The FIFA Council approved an increase of $2 million in basic payments to each federation, bringing the minimum to $12.5 million.
Member associations had previously appealed for increased prize money due to rising expenses. FIFA had already announced in December that the World Cup winner would receive $50 million from a total prize pool of $655 million.
Argentina earned $42 million for their 2022 victory, while the 2018 champions, France, received $38 million.