Trump Affirms Iran Can Participate In 2026 World Cup

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Iran is “welcome” to participate in the upcoming World Cup in North America despite the ongoing Middle East war, according to Gianni Infantino on Wednesday.

The conflict, triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, had raised uncertainty over Iran’s participation in this summer’s men’s FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Following a meeting to review preparations for the tournament, Infantino said the current situation in Iran was also discussed.

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

The remarks mark the first time the FIFA chief has publicly acknowledged the ongoing war in the Middle East. Infantino had previously awarded Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize in December.

However, Iran’s football authorities have expressed concerns about taking part in the global tournament. The head of the Iranian football federation, Mehdi Taj, on Tuesday questioned whether the national team would attend.

“If the World Cup is like this, who in their right mind would send their national team to a place like this?” Taj said on Iranian state television.

Although the competition will be staged across three countries, Iran are scheduled to play all three of their group-stage matches in the United States—two in Los Angeles and one in Seattle.

Meanwhile, controversy also emerged during the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, where several Iranian players reportedly sought asylum.

According to Australian authorities, five players—including team captain Zahra Ghanbari—left their team hotel under the cover of darkness to request protection from Australian officials. Local media also reported that at least two more team members later applied to remain in the country.