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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said President Donald Trump had “reiterated” to him that Iran’s men’s national soccer team would be “welcome to participate” in the 2026 World Cup in the United States later this summer, despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Infantino shared details of his conversation with the president in a lengthy Instagram post on Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as (from left) former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Secretary of State Marco Rubio listen during a meeting with the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, November 17, 2025. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP)
“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 enthusiasm as we are about to kick off in just 93 days.
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“We also talked about the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is of course welcome to participate in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino said.
“We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together 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.”
But on Wednesday, Iran’s sports minister said no team would be sent to the World Cup.
President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino attend the red carpet before the official draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The event took place in Washington, DC on December 5, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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“Considering that this corrupt regime assassinated our leader, we cannot participate in the World Cup under any circumstances,” Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali said on state television. via Reuters.
Iran is scheduled to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 before finishing its group match against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The United States will host the tournament along with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Iranian players celebrate after the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A match between Iran and Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium on March 25, 2025, in Tehran, Iran. The Iranian national football team celebrated their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)
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Trump was indifferent last week when asked about Iran’s participation in the World Cup, tell Politico“I really don’t care.”
“I think Iran is a seriously defeated country. They run on steam.”
