Trump assures Iran welcome at 2026 World Cup, Infantino says

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump has assured him Iran will be welcome to compete at the 2026 World Cup, which begins June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Infantino posted on Instagram early Wednesday that he met with Trump on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the tournament. "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.

The assurance addresses uncertainty surrounding Iran's participation following military strikes by the United States and Israel this month that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran responded with retaliatory missile and drone strikes toward Israel and four Gulf Arab countries hosting U.S. military bases: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Iran has qualified for the tournament and is scheduled to play three group-stage matches, with games set for Los Angeles and Seattle. Iranian officials had suggested recently that the country's participation was in doubt because of the conflict.

The uncertainty was underscored when Iranian representatives were absent from a World Cup planning meeting in Atlanta last week that involved all competing federations.

Infantino said in his Instagram post that he thanked Trump for his support. "It demonstrates once again that football unites the world," Infantino wrote, according to reports of his statement.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first hosted across three nations. The tournament involves 48 teams, an expansion from the traditional 32-team format used in previous competitions.