Iran confirms participation in 2026 FIFA World Cup in US, Canada and Mexico

Iran Football Federation announced Saturday that Iran’s national team will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that the federation had finalized its decision on participation and confirmed that visa procedures related to the tournament had been completed.

The federation said the national team secured qualification through its results and continues preparations and training ahead of the competition.

The tournament is scheduled to be held from June 11 to July 19.

Iran is due to play New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 before facing Egypt in Seattle on June 26.

Separately, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported that the football federation had outlined 10 conditions for Iran’s participation in the tournament.

The reported conditions included guarantees that all players and technical staff would receive visas without complications and would not face questioning by US immigration authorities during travel.

The federation also reportedly requested visa facilitation for Iranian journalists and supporters attending the tournament, increased US security measures around airports, hotels, transportation routes and stadiums, and restrictions allowing only Iran’s official national flag inside stadiums.

Other reported demands included guarantees that Iran’s national anthem would be played without interruption during matches and that questions at press conferences would be limited strictly to football matters.