FIFA chief Infantino confirms Iran playing in US at World Cup / Photo: © AFP/File
CMSD
0.0000
The China Mail - FIFA chief Infantino confirms Iran playing in US at World Cup
USD
-
AED 3.673042
AFN 63.503991
ALL 82.403989
AMD 368.150403
ANG 1.790403
AOA 918.000367
ARS 1465.449815
AUD 1.42575
AWG 1.8025
AZN 1.70397
BAM 1.705709
BBD 2.013483
BDT 122.708482
BGN 1.69088
BHD 0.37702
BIF 2985
BMD 1
BND 1.290663
BOB 6.90816
BRL 5.152304
BSD 0.999721
BTN 94.239742
BWP 13.585663
BYN 2.777729
BYR 19600
BZD 2.010527
CAD 1.415225
CDF 2280.000362
CHF 0.807055
CLF 0.02293
CLP 902.460396
CNY 6.769604
CNH 6.783725
COP 3452.68
CRC 453.506829
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 96.403894
CZK 21.091104
DJF 177.720393
DKK 6.516504
DOP 58.403884
DZD 133.34504
EGP 49.986489
ERN 15
ETB 158.37504
EUR 0.871881
FJD 2.235504
FKP 0.756415
GBP 0.755512
GEL 2.650391
GGP 0.756415
GHS 11.22504
GIP 0.756415
GMD 73.503851
GNF 8775.000355
GTQ 7.625892
GYD 209.119888
HKD 7.83685
HNL 26.68504
HRK 6.568104
HTG 130.583803
HUF 306.820388
IDR 17826.3
ILS 2.95976
IMP 0.756415
INR 94.330504
IQD 1310
IRR 1375000.000352
ISK 125.530386
JEP 0.756415
JMD 157.959917
JOD 0.70904
JPY 161.30504
KES 129.403801
KGS 87.450384
KHR 4010.00035
KMF 429.503794
KPW 900.00035
KRW 1527.650383
KWD 0.30793
KYD 0.833035
KZT 487.855928
LAK 22055.000349
LBP 89550.000349
LKR 333.641485
LRD 182.150382
LSL 16.405039
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 6.375039
MAD 9.225039
MDL 17.654036
MGA 4200.000347
MKD 53.732839
MMK 2099.727916
MNT 3581.295381
MOP 8.070939
MRU 40.060379
MUR 47.850378
MVR 15.450378
MWK 1737.000345
MXN 17.326504
MYR 4.137904
MZN 63.910377
NAD 16.403727
NGN 1360.440377
NIO 36.610377
NOK 9.680204
NPR 150.787532
NZD 1.741735
OMR 0.384983
PAB 0.999725
PEN 3.384039
PGK 4.38775
PHP 60.716504
PKR 278.325038
PLN 3.71375
PYG 6138.96617
QAR 3.640504
RON 4.568104
RSD 102.170373
RUB 73.103247
RWF 1464
SAR 3.74824
SBD 8.061424
SCR 13.683262
SDG 600.503676
SEK 9.57882
SGD 1.292404
SHP 0.746601
SLE 24.750371
SLL 20969.503664
SOS 571.503662
SRD 37.402504
STD 20697.981008
STN 21.4
SVC 8.747449
SYP 110.532098
SZL 16.403649
THB 32.890369
TJS 9.272075
TMT 3.5
TND 2.91175
TOP 2.40776
TRY 46.438204
TTD 6.779085
TWD 31.715038
TZS 2630.985038
UAH 44.909735
UGX 3638.520172
UYU 39.96965
UZS 12005.000334
VES 606.63266
VND 26310
VUV 118.773512
WST 2.751708
XAF 572.078806
XAG 0.015419
XAU 0.00024
XCD 2.70255
XCG 1.801643
XDR 0.703697
XOF 565.000332
XPF 104.250363
YER 238.603589
ZAR 16.458037
ZMK 9001.203584
ZMW 17.919703
ZWL 321.999592
- Israel strikes south Lebanon despite truce announced with Hezbollah
- Japan's Ogura smashes own track record to take Czech MotoGP pole
- Hurricanes blow away Chiefs in record-breaking Super Rugby final
- Germany meet Ivory Coast in high-stakes World Cup clash, Sweden face Dutch
- Ancient Greek theatre revives legendary Callas opera Medea
- Indian guru urges broader view of yoga
- Portugal's unofficial exorcism fever worries Church
- Paraguay's Almiron sent off under new FIFA 'mouth-covering' rule
- Ancelotti hails 'complete game' as Brazil sink Haiti at World Cup
- Tunisia ask how Sweden World Cup star Ayari slipped its net
FIFA chief Infantino confirms Iran playing in US at World Cup
FIFA President Gianni Infantino reiterated that Iran will play their World Cup games in the United States as scheduled on Thursday as he kicked off the global football body's summit in Vancouver.
Iran's participation at this year's tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States has been shrouded in uncertainty since the eruption of war in the Middle East in February following strikes by the United States and Israel.
Infantino, who has repeatedly stated that Iran will be at the World Cup, underscored that stance at the start of his address to delegates in Vancouver.
"Let me start by the outset, confirming straightaway that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026," Infantino said. "And of course, Iran will play (in) the United States of America."
Iranian officials had floated the idea of shifting their group games from the United States to Mexico, but that proposal had already been nixed by Infantino.
In a further twist last week, Italy-born US special envoy Paolo Zampolli was reported to have floated the idea of Italy taking Iran's World Cup place.
The US government later distanced themselves from that proposal, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Iran's footballers would be welcome.
But the tension surrounding Iran's World Cup participation rumbled into the build-up to Thursday's FIFA Congress.
Iran was the only absentee from the 211-member congress as Thursday's meeting got under way after a clash with Canadian border officials earlier this week.
Officials from the Iranian football federation (FFIRI) abruptly left Canada after landing in Toronto, abandoning their onward trip to Vancouver.
Iranian media said FFIRI president Mehdi Taj -- a former member of Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) -- and two colleagues flew home after being "insulted" by Canadian immigration officers.
Canada, which designated the IRGC a terrorist organization in 2024, said Wednesday that individuals linked to the force were "inadmissible."
"While we cannot comment on individual cases due to privacy laws, the government has been clear and consistent: IRGC officials are inadmissible to Canada and have no place in our country," Canada's immigration agency said in a statement.
Iran, who are due to be based in Tucson, Arizona during the World Cup, face New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt in Group G.
The Iranians open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15.
L.Johnson--ThChM
