The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has reportedly made his current feelings known to FIFA president Gianni Infantino about Iran competing at the 2026 World Cup when the tournament kicks off this summer.

Infantino revealed the message after meeting Trump and discussing preparations for the event, which the United States will co-host with Canada and Mexico.

The FIFA chief shared details of the conversation in an Instagram post, explaining that the issue of Iran’s participation came up during their talks.

Infantino says Trump confirmed Iran will be welcome

According to Infantino, Trump made it clear that Iran’s national team would be permitted to play in the competition despite ongoing political tensions between the two countries.

“We also spoke about the current situation in Iran, and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026,” Infantino wrote.

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

Iran has already secured its place at the tournament through Asian qualifying, becoming one of the early teams to confirm participation. They have been placed in Group G along with New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt.

2026 World Cup preparations continue

Infantino also said the meeting focused on preparations for the expanded tournament, which will feature 48 teams for the first time.

The FIFA president said excitement is building with the opening game approaching and emphasized the broader role the World Cup can play globally.

“We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever,” Infantino wrote.

He thanked Trump for supporting the tournament and repeated FIFA’s long-standing message that the sport can unite people across political divides.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition hosted across three countries and is expected to be the largest in the competition’s history.

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