2 min readMar 11, 2026 01:11 PM IST
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said that American president Donald Trump has assured him that the Iranian football team can come to the USA for the FIFA World Cup later this year. USA and Israel are currently in the middle of a war with Iran, having killed the Asian country’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei with a targeted bombing.
The FIFA World Cup will start in 93 days. The event, from June 11 to July 19, is being co-hosted by Canada and Mexico.
The Iran men’s football team is scheduled to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and then face Belgium on June 21. Iran will finish their group against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
“This evening, I met with the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump to discuss the status of preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, and the growing excitement as we are set to kick off in just 93 days. 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,” Infantino said via FIFA Media account on X.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
“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.”
Infantino was recently under scrutiny for his close ties to Trump, and the International Olympic Committee had investigated him for violating IOC’s political neutrality rules after the FIFA chief, who is also an IPC member, attended a US “Board of Peace” event with President Trump in February 2026.
Last week, a belligerent Trump had said that he “really doesn’t care” if Iran takes part in the 48-nation tournament.
(With inputs from AP)
