Infantino reveals Trump’s position on the Iranian national team’s participation in the 2026 World Cup

FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump pledged to him, during a meeting between them on Tuesday evening, to welcome the Iranian national team to the World Cup scheduled for next summer.

Infantino wrote on his Instagram account, “During our conversations, President Trump reaffirmed that the Iranian team is certainly welcome to participate in the tournament in the United States,” which shares hosting with its neighbors Canada and Mexico.
On Wednesday, the White House confirmed the statements Trump made to Infantino.
The Italian-Swiss added, “During a meeting to discuss preparations for the tournament, we also talked about the current situation in Iran,” without clarifying that the doubts about the Iranian team’s participation in the World Cup came against the backdrop of the American-Israeli strikes on Iran since February 28, which were followed by blatant Iranian attacks on countries in the region.
The Iranian team, which was drawn into Group Seven, is supposed to play its three matches in the first round against Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand on American soil (two matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle), while it is supposed to be based during the tournament in Tucson (Arizona).
If Iran withdraws, it will be the first time this has happened since France and India withdrew from the 1950 finals in Brazil.
Only a few hours after the attack began, the head of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, hinted at the possibility of boycotting the finals, considering that the final decision rests with the “sports authorities” in the country.
Some observers had indicated the possibility that the United States would refuse to receive the Iranian team for security reasons, but this scenario appears to have been ruled out based on what Infantino reported from Trump on Wednesday.
Infantino, who is close to the US President, said: “More than ever, we all need an event like the World Cup to bring people together. I sincerely thank the President of the United States for his support, because this proves once again that football unites the world.”
Infantino is known for his closeness to Trump, as he was the only sports official to attend the inauguration of the US President, and last year he presented him with the “FIFA Peace Award,” which was created specifically for this occasion, without revealing the criteria for awarding it.