Trump Says Iran Welcome at World Cup, According to Infantino
Trump signals Iran will still be allowed to compete at the 2026 World Cup despite ongoing conflict.
- Donald Trump says Iran is welcome at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
- 🤝 Gianni Infantino discussed tournament preparations with Trump.
- Iran is scheduled to play group matches in the United States.
US President Donald Trump has indicated that Iran will still be allowed to compete in this summer’s FIFA World Cup 2026 despite the ongoing conflict involving the country, according to Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA.
Infantino revealed on Instagram that he met Trump on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The competition is scheduled to begin on 11 June.
During the meeting, the two leaders also discussed the current situation involving Iran.
Iran’s participation had been uncertain following recent military actions in which the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran earlier this month, reportedly killing the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and several Gulf states hosting US military bases, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Infantino said Trump made it clear that Iran’s national team would still be allowed to take part in the tournament in the United States.
“During our discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote.
He added that global sporting events like the World Cup play an important role in uniting people, especially during periods of international tension.
“We all need events like the FIFA World Cup now more than ever,” Infantino said. “Football has the power to bring people together.”
Iran are scheduled to play three group-stage matches in the United States. They will face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 June and 21 June, before meeting Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.
However, uncertainty remains due to the ongoing conflict. Iran’s football federation president Mehdi Taj previously said the recent attacks have made it difficult to approach the World Cup with optimism.
Meanwhile, Australia has granted humanitarian visas to several members of Iran’s women’s national team after concerns were raised about their safety. According to Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, seven people were offered asylum, although one later chose to return to Iran.
The rest of the Iranian squad left Australia on Tuesday after being eliminated from the AFC Asian Cup.
