FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that Iran will "for sure" participate in the 2026 World Cup despite the Middle East war.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino told AFP Tuesday that Iran "will be at the World Cup" and will play their group matches in the United States as scheduled, despite the Middle East war.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Tuesday promised to "continue to support" Iran's preparations for the World Cup as he met the Iranian national team for the first time since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on the country a month ago.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino attended a friendly in Turkey between Iran, whose participation in this year's World Cup is in doubt, and Costa Rica.

Iran's men's national football team made an emotional tribute to the children killed in a recent school bombing in Minab.

In a statement Thursday that did not mention Iran, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said soccer has a key role to "promote peace.

Iran will "boycott the United States" but "not the World Cup", Iranian football federation president Mehdi Taj said in a video.

The Iranian women's football team, whose plight has become embroiled in the Middle East war, returned back to Iran on Wednesday where they were promised a welcome ceremony in Tehran.

Iran's national women's soccer team has returned to the Islamic Republic after several of the players sought asylum in Australia, Iranian media reported Wednesday.

Iran's participation at this summer's finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico has been in doubt since the war began last month.

Iran's participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026 is uncertain as the country's football federation are in talks with FIFA to move its scheduled matches in the United States to Mexico due to rising security concerns.

A leading soccer official in Asia says Iran is still set to play at the World Cup which kicks off in June in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

US President Donald Trump's comments came just two days after he told FIFA chief Gianni Infantino the Iranian players would be welcome despite the Middle East war.

The current round of conflict between Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other started on February 28.

Australia granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women's soccer team who were visiting the country for a tournament when the Iran war began, a government minister said Tuesday.

Australia has granted asylum to five members of the Iranian women's football team who were visiting the country for a tournament, Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Tuesday

The Iran women's soccer team sang and saluted as its national anthem played ahead of the Women's Asian Cup contest against Australia on Thursday.

The Iran women's soccer team sang and saluted as its national anthem played ahead of the Women's Asian Cup contest against Australia on Thursday, a contrast to the silence before its opening game.