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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said President Donald Trump “reiterated” to him that Iran’s men’s national soccer team would be “welcome to compete” at the 2026 World Cup in the United States later this summer, despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Infantino shared the details of his conversation with the president in a lengthy post on Instagram on Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump speaks as (L-R) former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Secretary of State Marco Rubio listen during a meeting of the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on November 17, 2025. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP)
“Tonight 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 get ready 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 compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino said.
“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.”
But on Wednesday, Iran’s sports minister claimed a team would not be sent to the World Cup.
President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino walk the red carpet ahead of 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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“Given that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, we cannot participate in the World Cup under any circumstances,” Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali told state television. via Reuters.
Iran is scheduled to play in Inglewood, Calif., against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 before concluding group play against Egypt in Seattle on June 26. The USA will host the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Players from Iran 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. Iran’s national football team celebrated after securing 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, tells Politico“I really don’t care.”
“I think Iran is a very badly defeated country. They are running on fumes.”
