Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has said that Iran will still be allowed to participate in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The confirmation came from Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, who revealed details of discussions with Trump during a meeting on preparations for the global football tournament.
Writing on Instagram on Wednesday, Infantino said the issue of Iran’s participation was raised amid the escalating conflict in the region.
“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.
The men’s World Cup will be jointly hosted by the Canada, Mexico, and the United States this summer.
However, the ongoing war in the Middle East—triggered by joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28—has cast doubt over Iran’s involvement in the competition.
The statement also marked the first time Infantino publicly acknowledged the ongoing conflict while discussing the World Cup. The FIFA chief previously awarded Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December.
Uncertainty around Iran’s participation grew earlier this week after the head of the country’s football federation questioned whether the team should attend the tournament.
Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, expressed concerns during an appearance on Iranian state television.
“If the World Cup is like this, who in their right mind would send their national team to a place like this?” Taj said.
Although the World Cup will be spread across three host nations, Iran’s group-stage matches are scheduled to take place entirely in the United States. The team is expected to play two matches in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.
Meanwhile, a separate controversy involving Iran’s women’s national team has further intensified attention on the country’s football community.
During the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, several Iranian players reportedly sought asylum.
According to Australian officials, five players—including team captain Zahra Ghanbari—left the team hotel late at night and requested protection from authorities.
Local media reports indicated that at least two additional players later applied to remain in Australia.
The incident followed criticism from Iranian state television after some players remained silent during the national anthem before their opening match against South Korea.
In their subsequent matches, the players reportedly sang the anthem before kickoff.
Iran’s women’s team went on to lose their remaining group matches and were eventually eliminated from the tournament after a defeat to the Philippines on Sunday.
Despite the tensions surrounding the country’s football programs, preparations for the 2026 World Cup continue across the host nations.
