Donald Trump welcomes Iran to the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Gianni Infantino

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday he met with US President Donald Trump, who told him he welcomed Iran’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

Iran was the only country missing from a FIFA scheduling summit for World Cup participants held in Atlanta last week, raising questions about whether the country’s soccer team will compete on U.S. soil this summer amid an escalating regional war.

Trump told it Politicsrather that he is not concerned about Iran’s participation because it was a “very badly defeated country.”

“We also discussed the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” FIFA boss Infantino said in a post on his official social media account.

“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is of course welcome to participate in the tournament in the United States.

“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 soccer unites the world.”

Iran secured a trip to a fourth consecutive World Cup by beating Group A in the third round of Asian qualifying last year, but Mehdi Taj, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran Football Federation, said the ferocity of the attacks by US and Israeli forces does not bode well for the World Cup, which will be held from June 11 to July 19.

Iran is grouped with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand in Group G. The matches will take place in the US, two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.

If both the US and Iran finish second in their respective groups, the two countries could meet in an elimination match on July 3 in Dallas.

Published on March 11, 2026