Trump welcomes Iran's participation in World Cup 2026, says FIFA President
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday that he met with Donald Trump, President of the United States, who told him he welcomes Iran’s participation in this summer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, Reuters reported.
Iran was the only nation absent from a planning meeting organized by FIFA with World Cup 2026 participants held last week in Atlanta, raising further questions about the Iranian national team’s presence in the United States this summer amid the escalation of conflict in the Middle East, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.
Trump had earlier told Politico that he was not worried about Iran’s participation, describing it as a “very severely defeated country.”
“We also spoke about the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Infantino said in a post on his official social media account.
“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to play in the tournament in the United States. We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup, which brings people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the President of the United States for his support, as it once again shows that football unites the world,” the FIFA chief added.
Iran secured its fourth consecutive World Cup appearance after finishing first in Group A in the third round of Asian qualifiers last year. However, Mehdi Taj, president of the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran, said the violence of attacks by US and Israeli forces does not bode well for the tournament, which will take place from June 11 to July 19.
Iran was drawn in Group C of the 2026 World Cup, alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand.
Iran’s matches are scheduled to be played in the United States, with two games in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
If both the United States and Iran finish second in their respective groups, the two teams could meet in a knockout match on July 3 in Dallas.
