FIFA president reaffirms that Iran will participate in summer's World Cup

[p]"[b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iran/xrRx85iA/"]Iran[/a] is coming for sure. We hope that by then the situation will be a peaceful situation, that would definitely help,[/b]" Infantino told an economic conference organized by broadcaster CNBC.[/p][p]"[b]But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,[/b]" he said of the team's upcoming matches scheduled in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/fuitL4CF/"]United States[/a] in June.[/p][embed guid="822b4789-2a45-4faa-a485-ce4ea5bdfd63" url="https://x.com/JGedeon1/status/2044525616108601813?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Infantino had made similar comments in March, when he attended an Iran-[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/costa-rica/C4ePE2kq/"]Costa Rica[/a] friendly in Antalya, Turkey, even though US President Donald Trump had previously suggested that Iranian players might not be "safe" in the United States.[/p][p]Iran is scheduled to play its three Group G matches in the United States - two in Los Angeles, one in Seattle - with their base for the tournament in Tucson, Arizona.[/p][h2]'Outside of politics'[/h2][p]Iran's participation in the global tournament being co-hosted by the United States, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mexico/O6iHcNkd/"]Mexico[/a] had been thrown into doubt by the conflict launched by the United States and Israel on February 28.[/p][p]Iran raised the prospect of a "boycott" of the competition before asking FIFA to move its matches from the United States to Mexico, a request the world governing body rejected.[/p][p]After several weeks of air strikes on Iran and Iranian reprisals against Israel and other countries in the region, a fragile truce came into effect on April 8.[/p][p]But Tehran has sealed off the strategic Strait of Hormuz and since Monday Washington has imposed a blockade on ships coming from or heading to Iranian ports.[/p][p]"[b]Sports should be outside of politics,[/b]" Infantino said on Wednesday.[/p][p]"[b]If there's nobody else that believes in building bridges and keeping them intact and together, we are doing the job,[/b]" he said.[/p][p]The World Cup, the first to feature 48 teams, starts on June 11.[/p]