Donald Trump has said that Iran’s national football team will still be allowed to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States despite the ongoing conflict involving the country.
The development was revealed by Gianni Infantino after he met with the U.S. president on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the tournament. The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the competition scheduled to begin on June 11.
Infantino shared details of the meeting on Instagram, noting that the situation in Iran was among the issues discussed.
Trump signals approval for Iran’s participation
According to Infantino, Trump made it clear that the Iranian national team would still be welcome to compete in the tournament.
“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote.
He added that global events like the World Cup play an important role in bringing people together during difficult times.
Rising geopolitical tensions
The confirmation comes amid escalating tensions following military strikes reportedly carried out by the United States and Israel in Iran earlier this month, which reports claim led to the death of Ali Khamenei.
Iran later responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and several Gulf nations hosting U.S. military bases, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran’s scheduled matches in the U.S.
Despite the tensions, Iran are currently scheduled to play all three of their group-stage matches in the United States.
Their fixtures include games against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and June 21 respectively. They are then set to face Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Doubts remain over participation
However, uncertainty still surrounds Iran’s participation in the tournament.
Mehdi Taj recently admitted that the ongoing conflict has cast doubt over the team’s outlook for the competition.
“What is certain is that after these attacks, it’s hard to look at the World Cup with hope,” Taj said.
Concerns beyond the men’s team
Security concerns have also affected Iranian women’s football.
Australia recently granted humanitarian visas to six members of Iran’s women’s national team who sought protection while competing in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Australia’s Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, confirmed that seven asylum requests were initially approved, although one of the players later chose to return to Iran.
