FIFA President Gianni Infantino has revealed that he met with US President Donald Trump. They discussed preparations surrounding the upcoming FIFA World Cup. He asked Trump whether the Iranian soccer team would be allowed to participate in the tournament amid the ongoing war. Trump assured Infantino that the Iranian team is welcome to participate in the event. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
FIFA claims Donald Trump assured Iran can come to US World Cup
Infantino addressed concerns about the Iranian soccer team’s participation in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026. The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. He revealed that he had spoken with President Donald Trump about preparations for the tournament. Infantino added that he has also received reassurance about Iran’s inclusion in the competition. Iran is set to play three group-stage matches in total across different cities in the US. Iran will start their campaign against New Zealand at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on June 15. They will next play Belgium on June 21 at the Los Angeles Stadium. The Asian team’s final group-stage fixture is against Egypt, slated for June 26 at the Seattle Stadium.
In a social media post, Infantino shared a few insights from his meeting with Trump. He said, “We also spoke about the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026. During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States.”
He acknowledged the tournament’s efforts to bring people together and further expressed gratitude to Trump. Infantino wrote, “We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the President of the United States for his support, as it shows once again that Football Unites the World.”
Discussions about Iran’s participation in the World Cup emerged after the team was absent from the FIFA planning summit in Atlanta. Infantino’s latest confirmation about Iran’s soccer team playing in the tournament also comes at a time of the latest conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, which has also led to heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Originally reported by Shazmeen Navrange for Mandatory.
