FIFA president says Trump assured him Iran can come to US for World Cup

The head of FIFA says he anticipates the Iranian men’s national team will be able to compete in this summer’s World Cup, including in matches slated to take place in the United States, despite an ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran.

In a social media post on Tuesday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said he had spoken with President Trump 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. “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.”

The FIFA leader’s post comes amid widespread worry the Iranian team will not be able to safely travel out of the Middle East as fighting continues between Israel, the United States, Iran and its proxies.

Trump last week said he did not “care” if the Iranian national team competed in this year’s World Cup, saying the country had been “badly” defeated and was “running on fumes.”

The president has separately urged the Australian government to grant asylum to members of the Iranian women’s national soccer team, who traveled before the war began for Asia Cup matches and participated in silent protest as the country’s anthem was played before a match there.

The Iranian government called the women “traitors,” raising fears they could face danger if they returned to the country.

Still, most of the team left Australia this week after being offered asylum.

World Cup matches are slated to begin in June, while Trump has called the ongoing military operations in the Middle East a brief “excursion” that would end “very soon.”

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