FIFA expects that Iran’s national football team will be able to travel to the United States and take part in the upcoming World Cup, despite the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
FIFA President ‘Gianni Infantino’ said on Tuesday that he spoke with US President Donald Trump about preparations for the tournament and received assurances that the Iranian team would be allowed to enter the United States to compete.
The ‘2026 FIFA World Cup’, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, is set to begin in about three months.
Iran is scheduled to play its group matches in the US, starting against New Zealand in Inglewood, California on June 15. The team will then face Belgium on June 21 before concluding its group stage campaign against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Iranian officials had recently indicated that their participation in the tournament might be uncertain due to the ongoing war.
Infantino said he discussed the situation with Trump during a meeting Tuesday night. “We also talked about the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026,” he said, adding that Trump confirmed the team would be welcome to take part in the tournament in the United States.
Infantino and Trump maintain a close relationship. Trump was previously awarded FIFA’s inaugural peace prize, an honour many observers believe was created with him in mind.
However, Iranian fans had already faced restrictions earlier, as they were included in the initial version of a travel ban introduced by the Trump administration.
Infantino said global events like the World Cup are important for bringing people together, particularly during times of conflict, and thanked Trump for his support.
Earlier this week, FIFA World Cup chief operating officer ‘Heimo Schirgi’ said the tournament is too significant to be postponed because of the global tensions linked to the ongoing US and Israeli war against Iran.
Schirgi said FIFA is closely monitoring developments in the conflict but remains confident that the tournament will proceed as planned.
“We are taking it day by day and hope there will be a resolution,” he said. “The World Cup is too big, and we hope all teams that have qualified will be able to participate.”