The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to ignite passions on and off the pitch, as FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that Iran will play its originally scheduled matches in the United States this summer—despite growing calls for the team to be banned.
Speaking during his opening remarks at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver on Thursday, Infantino addressed the controversy head-on. "Of course, Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026, and of course Iran will play in the United States of America," he said. "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."
The announcement came just one day after members of Iran's delegation to the congress were denied entry into Canada, leading to an awkward moment during Thursday's roll call when the delegation was noted as "absent." According to ESPN, two Iranian delegates who were allowed into the country chose not to attend after another member of their party was turned away by immigration officials.
Outside the congress venue, the tension was palpable. About 30 protesters, organized by the group Mission for My Homeland and draped in Iranian flags, gathered to demand that FIFA ban the Iranian team. Their argument? That the team represents the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), not the people of Iran.
"This is not Iran, this is the Islamic Republic's team. This is IRGC's team," said Pouria Mahmoudi, an organizer with the group. "They're here not to represent Iran. They're here to normalize what's happening in Iran, the massacre in Iran. So, no, they should not be in the World Cup."
The protestors pointed to the brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran earlier this year, which left thousands dead. For them, the human cost outweighs any sporting ambition the players might have.
Infantino, however, has previously ruled out any possibility of replacing Iran or moving its group-stage games to one of the other co-hosts, Canada or Mexico. As the debate heats up, one thing is clear: when Iran steps onto the pitch in the United States this summer, the eyes of the world—and the weight of a nation's struggle—will be on them.