The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has stated that Iran’s national team is “welcome” to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite tensions and the recent conflict in the Middle East.
The news was announced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who revealed in an Instagram post that on Tuesday he met with Trump to discuss preparations for the World Cup, which will be hosted by United States, Canada, and Mexico, and will begin on June 11.
Infantino said that the current situation in Iran was also discussed during the meeting. According to him, Trump reiterated that the Iranian national team is welcome to take part in the tournament that will be held in the United States.
“We all need an event like the World Cup to bring people together more than ever. Football unites the world,” Infantino wrote.
Iran’s participation in the tournament had been in doubt after recent military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran earlier this month. During these attacks, the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was also killed.
Iran later responded with missiles and drones targeting Israel and several Arab Gulf states hosting U.S. military bases, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
According to the match schedule, Iran is expected to play three games in the United States: against New Zealand on June 15, against Belgium on June 21, and against Egypt on June 26.
However, the president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, has said that after the recent attacks it is difficult for the country to look optimistically toward the World Cup.
