Antalya

Antalya hosted the pivotal Infantino-Iran delegation meeting on 31 March and 1 April 2026. FIFA president Gianni Infantino met FFIRI president Omid Jamali, secretary general Mehdi Mohammed Nabi and head coach Amir Ghalenoei in the Turkish resort city, delivering the message that 'Iran will be at the World Cup' while offering a pre-tournament training camp in Turkey rather than any match relocation.

Antalya is a Major Turkish Mediterranean resort city and regional capital on the country's southern coast. With a population of approximately 2.6 million in its broader province, it is one of Turkey's most visited tourist destinations and a significant commercial hub. Turkey and Iran share a border and strong economic ties, making Turkish soil a diplomatically neutral ground for FIFA-Iran dialogue.

The choice of Antalya as the meeting venue — rather than Zurich (FIFA HQ) or Tehran — reflects the sensitivity of the negotiations. Turkey's position as a Muslim-majority NATO member with Iranian diplomatic relations made it an acceptable venue for both parties. Subsequent FIFA rejection of Iran's relocation request was communicated not from Antalya but via Mexico's president Sheinbaum on 12 April, confirming that the Antalya talks were the diplomatic ceiling for Iran's case.