VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino opened his address at Thursday's FIFA Congress by affirming that Iran will participate in the World Cup and that the team will play in the United States despite the conflict between the two nations.
“And the reason for that is very simple, dear friends, is because we have to unite. We have to bring people together. It is my responsibility. It is our responsibility,” Infantino said.
“Football unites the world. FIFA unites the world. You unite the world. We unite the world.”
In an indication of how fraught the situation is with Iran's participation in the World Cup, representatives from the Iranian soccer federation were denied entry into Canada this week.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said it was her “understanding” that the Iranian officials were turned away, following a report by Tasnim, an Iranian news agency associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The report said Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj and two other officials were denied entry at Toronto's airport.
Earlier in the week at the Asian soccer federation's congress in Vancouver, Iran's participation in the World Cup or whether the team's matches should be moved out of the United States was not addressed.
At the roll call for the FIFA Congress where all nations were named, Iran was announced as absent. Outside the event at the Vancouver Convention Center there was a small group of protestors holding Iranian flags.
Infantino has not wavered on Iran’s participation in the World Cup or in its matches in the United States. At one point, Iran asked to move its games to Mexico, but that request was rejected.
The World Cup starts on June 11 and the final is scheduled for July 19 with games in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
In contrast to concerns about an immigration crackdown in the United States ahead of the World Cup, Canadian officials speaking at the FIFA Congress stressed the nation's diversity.
“Canada has always been more than just a country on a map. It is a meeting place of cultures, languages, ideas and dreams. People from every corner of the world have come here with their stories, their traditions, their talents and their hopes together. These stories don't disappear. They become part of who we are,” said Peter Augruso, the president of the Canadian Soccer Association.
In his address to the congress, Infantino briefly addressed complaints about the costs of tickets to World Cup matches, but his comments were directed at the heads of the member associations and not fans.
“We sold 100% of the inventory that we put on the market, which is more or less 90% of the global inventory so far. And of course, we are always putting tickets on the market," Infantino said. "There are expensive tickets, yes, and there are also affordable tickets. And what is important is that all the revenues that we generate from the world go back to you, go back to the entire world and finance football in all of your countries.”
Earlier this week, FIFA announced it would pay out an additional $100 million to the nations playing in the World Cup to help cover higher-than-expected costs.
The FIFA Council agreed Tuesday to increase the basic payments to each federation by $2 million to a minimum of $12.5 million. The governing body is expecting revenue of at least $11 billion for the tournament.
Member associations had appealed to soccer's governing body to raise prize money because of cost concerns. FIFA announced in December that the winner of this year's World Cup will receive $50 million from a $655 million prize pool.
Argentina earned $42 million for winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, an increase from the $38 million awarded to France for winning the 2018 tournament in Russia.
But it's less than half of what Chelsea earned for winning the much less-hyped Club World Cup last year. That tournament had a total prize fund of $1 billion, with Chelsea apparently getting somewhere between $128 million and $154 million for the top prize.
Outside the FIFA Congress was a small rally of about 100 supporters of the Vancouver Whitecaps, protesting the possible relocation of the Major League Soccer team.
MLS has said it will explore all options for the future of the Whitecaps, including moving out of the city. The club was put on sale 16 months ago by its ownership group.
Uncertainty around the team is fueled by limited revenue options and a short-term lease at BC Place, which will host seven World Cup games in June and July, including Canada playing Qatar and Switzerland.
The 76th edition of the FIFA Congress brought some 1,600 of the top soccer officials from around the world to the city. The event was expected to generate approximately $4.9 million in local economic impact.
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