Despite the conflict in the Middle East, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated on Wednesday that Iran will "for sure" compete in the 2026 World Cup. "Iran will undoubtedly arrive. On broadcaster CNBC, Infantino stated, "We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, which would definitely help." He stated, "But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play," in reference to the team's June games in the US.

The conflict with the United States and Israel that started on February 28 cast doubt on Iran's ability to compete in the international competition.Politics and sports should be kept apart, according to Infantino.