At war with the USA, one of the tournament’s hosts, the country had asked two weeks ago for its first phase games to take place only in Mexico
“Iran will be at the World Cup”FIFA president Gianni Infantino told AFP this Tuesday (31), who is in Antalya, southern Turkey, to watch a friendly match with the Iranian football team.
“We are here for this. We are satisfied because it is a very, very strong team. I am very happy”, added the president of the entity that governs world football during halftime of the match between Iran and Costa Rica.
“I met the team, I spoke with the players, with the coach, everything is fine”, added Infantino, before highlighting that “the matches will be played where they have to be played, according to the draw”.
Iran was in the first phase of the tournament (from June 11th to July 19th) in Mexicoand not in the United States, as determined by the draw.
According to the tournament’s official table, in the first phase Iran will face New Zealand ea Belgium in Los Angeles, and then the Egypt em Seattle.
The Iranian national team’s training center was scheduled to be located in Tucson, Arizona.
The FIFA president, whose presence in Antalya had not been announced, went to the stand shortly before the start of the match and posed for some photos with several members of the Iranian Federation.
*With information from AFP
