FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday that Iran will participate in the upcoming World Cup despite ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.“Iran will be in the World Cup … that’s why we’re here. We’re happy because they’re a very strong team, I’m very happy,” Infantino said at halftime during Iran’s friendly against Costa Rica in Turkey, as quoted by news agency AFP.Infantino stressed that Iran’s “matches will be played where they should be according to the draw”.Earlier, in an interview with N+, the FIFA president said, “Iran represents its people, those who live in Iran and those who live abroad. They qualified on the field for this World Cup. They were a team that qualified very early. This is not a plan B, C or D: some football-crazy country. We want them to play. They will play in the World Cup, and there is no plan, C, D, A or no plan.” is not We live in the real world and we know what the situation is, which is very complicated, but we are working and we are going to make sure that Iran plays this World Cup in the best possible conditions.“The Iranian Football Federation previously said it was in “negotiations” with FIFA to move its World Cup matches from the US to Mexico because of the US-Israeli war with Iran.Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also said that Mexico is ready to host Iran’s first-round matches if needed.The World Cup hosted by USA, Mexico and Canada will start from June 11. Iran will play their first Group G match against New Zealand on June 15 in Los Angeles.Infantino had previously said that Donald Trump had assured that the Iranian team would be allowed to participate. The team is scheduled to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, followed by Egypt in Seattle.However, Trump later said that Iran’s team should not travel to the tournament “for their own safety and security”.Iran responded by saying that “no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup”.Infantino attended Tuesday’s match near Antalya, although his visit was not announced in advance and the media was kept away from the area where he sat.Iran also played a friendly match against Nigeria in Belek last Friday. During the match, players wore black armbands and carried school bags during the national anthem to remember those killed in an attack on a primary school in Iran on the first day of the war.At least 170 people, including students and teachers, were killed in an airstrike in the southern city of Manab on February 28.
