Infantino Says Trump Has Guaranteed Iran’s Place at 2026 World Cup

Washington — FIFA president Gianni Infantino moved to end speculation over Iran’s participation in this summer’s World Cup, announcing in the early hours of Wednesday that United States President Donald Trump has personally assured him the Iranian team will be welcome at the tournament.

Infantino, in Washington for the World Cup draw, revealed the conversation in an Instagram post published shortly after midnight Eastern Time. The White House later confirmed the meeting took place.

The discussions follow weeks of uncertainty triggered by American and Israeli military strikes that killed Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and prompted retaliatory Iranian attacks across the Middle East. Iran, which qualified for the 48-team competition, is scheduled to play group-stage matches in Los Angeles and Seattle, yet Iranian officials were notably absent from last week’s World Cup planning summit in Atlanta attended by every other competing federation.

Last week Trump told Politico he was indifferent to Iran’s involvement, describing the country as “badly defeated” and “running on fumes.” Infantino’s post offered a markedly different tone, saying Trump “reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States.”

“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. “We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the President of the United States for his support, as it shows once again that Football Unites the World.”

The post concluded with a soccer-ball emoji, three globe symbols, and a heart.

Infantino and Trump have cultivated a visible rapport throughout Trump’s second term. The FIFA president attended both Trump’s pre-inauguration rally and the inauguration in January, has been a guest at multiple Oval Office briefings, and in December presented Trump with the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the World Cup draw in Washington. FIFA created the award in November to honor “individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace,” bypassing the usual FIFA Council deliberations.

U.S. Soccer Federation CEO JT Batson echoed Infantino’s confidence last week, telling Sky News: “FIFA president Gianni Infantino shared over the weekend the intention of a safe and secure World Cup where all teams are participating. And we’re certainly very supportive of that.”

With kickoff in June, the assurance from the White House appears to remove the final barrier to Iran’s involvement, ensuring all 48 qualified nations will take the field across 16 host cities in the United States.