Iran makes World Cup progress in talks with Infantino as war darkens June trip to US

Iranian soccer had a good week on its troubled path to playing World Cup games in the United States in June.

A first face-to-face meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino since the U.S. and Israel started a war against Iran on Feb. 28 made genuine progress in soccer diplomacy at the end of a fraught month.

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The Iranian soccer federation’s upbeat readout of the meeting in Turkey made no mention of moving World Cup games to Mexico — a subject Infantino has repeatedly shut down for the past two weeks.

Infantino also offered tangible help for the squad to prepare for the World Cup in the next two months. Most Iran players are with clubs in the national league that has shut down during the war.

Iran’s World Cup hosts in Arizona said this week they were pressing on with training camp upgrades plus local and federal security plans — echoing the “stick to the schedule” mantra FIFA has used.

Infantino stayed on in the Turkish coastal resort of Antalya to watch Iran rout Costa Rica 5-0 in a warmup.

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Clearly, the next two months are full of uncertainty for the Iran team and nation itself amid mixed messages about U.S. intentions for the war.

Still, talk of Iran boycotting soccer’s biggest event or seeking to move its games from Los Angeles and Seattle to Mexico has faded.

The Iranian delegation is due at its Tucson training camp no later than June 10 for the June 11-July 19 tournament.

Iran soccer’s miserable month

The war immediately cast doubt on Iran’s ability and willingness to fulfill a World Cup entry secured in March 2025 as one of the best teams in Asia.

In the first half of March, government officials variously suggested the team could not play at the World Cup, could not travel to the U.S., and FIFA should move Iran’s games to co-host Mexico.

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A spokesman for the Iran Football Association did not respond on Thursday to a request for comment. Iran has not withdrawn its entry with FIFA.

Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum appeared to suggest hosting Iran games was possible, without advocating for an unprecedented late change to a World Cup schedule.

U.S. President Donald…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/iran-makes-world-cup-progress-150930849.html

Author : GRAHAM DUNBAR

Publish date : 2026-04-02 15:09:00

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