This was confirmed by Gianni Infantino, who had a conversation with the US president about the situation of the country in the midst of a conflict in the Middle East
Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup had been shrouded in doubts due to the political conflict in the Middle East, but in the last few hours the FIFA brought peace of mind. The president of the organization, Gianni Infantino, confirmed that the Asian national team will compete in the tournament after having a conversation with the president of United States,Donald Trump.
The Swiss leader explained that the issue was discussed at a meeting on the organization of the World Cup 93 days before the start of the competition. “We talked about the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026,” Infantino said in a message posted on social networks
. Infantino's Instagram post
As detailed, the US president cleared up any uncertainty regarding the presence of the Asian team in the tournament. “During the conversation, President Trump reiterated that, of course, the Iranian national team is welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,”
he said.
Infantino also highlighted the value of the tournament in a complex international context. “We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together, now more than ever,” he said, while thanking the U.S. government for its support in organizing the
event.
Doubts about Iran's participation had arisen as a result of the escalation of tensions in the region whose main protagonists are the United States, Israel and Iran. The situation even led the president of the Iranian Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, to question the team's presence in the championship
. Iran could drop out of the 2026 World Cup
In terms of sports, the Iranian national team has already defined their schedule in Group G and will play all three of their games in the United States. He will debut on June 15 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, will play again in that city on the 21st against Belgium and will close the group stage on the 26th against Egypt in Seattle
.
In addition, there is the possibility of a cross between Iran and the United States in the round of 16 if both finish second in their respective groups.
