FIFA president Gianni Infantino says he has received assurances from Donald Trump that Iran national football team will be welcome to compete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States.
Infantino said he discussed the situation with the US president during a meeting in Washington, amid uncertainty over Iran’s participation following rising tensions in the Middle East.
The tournament, which begins in June, will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Iran have already qualified for the competition and are scheduled to play group-stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle.
However, the country’s involvement has been questioned following military strikes between the United States, Israel and Iran, which have escalated tensions in the region.
Iranian representatives were notably absent from a recent World Cup planning meeting in Atlanta involving participating federations.
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In a message posted on social media, Infantino said Trump had reaffirmed that Iran would be allowed to take part in the tournament.
“We discussed the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026,” he said.
“President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States.”
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Infantino added that events such as the World Cup play an important role in bringing people together during times of geopolitical tension.
