3 min readMay 1, 2026 09:00 AM IST
On a day when FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed that the Iran football team will compete at the FIFA World Cup later this year, US President Donald Trump seemed to climb down from his previous hardline stance against the Iranian football team travelling to the USA for the prestigious event. The USA are co-hosting the FIFA World Cup with Mexico and Canada, and all of Iran’s group stage matches are in the US, a country they are at war with since late February.
Infantino had opened his address at Thursday’s FIFA Congress by re-confirming that Iran will participate in the World Cup despite the conflict between the two nations.
“Of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026. And of course Iran will play in the United States of America,” Infantino said Thursday. “And the reason for that is very simple, dear friends, is because we have to unite. We have to bring people together. It is my responsibility. It is our responsibility. Football unites the world. FIFA unites the world. You unite the world. We unite the world.”
Now, Trump has given his permission for the Iranian team to compete in his country.
When asked by reporters back home about FIFA president Infantino’s remarks about Iran, Trump said: “Well if Gianni said it I’m okay. Gianni Infantino, that’s a piece of work.”
Trump added: “You know what, let them play. Gianni’s fantastic, he’s a friend of mine. He talked about it. I said: ‘You do whatever you want.’ You can have them. You don’t have to have them. Probably have a good team. Do they have a good team? It would be hard to believe. But I think let them play.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents President Donald Trump with the FIFA Peace Prize during the draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (AP Photo)
Iran will play New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15, then Belgium in Los Angeles on June 21 before facing Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
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This comes just a couple of days after members of the Iranian soccer federation were denied entry into Canada for the FIFA Congress, where Infantino reaffirmed Iran’s participation.
Previously, Iran had asked to move their games to Mexico, but that request was rejected. At one point over the last few months, Iran also indicated that it may withdraw from the World Cup. But last week an Iranian government spokeswoman said the team is “fully prepared” to play at the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
(With inputs from AP)
