Iran will be participating in the 2026 World Cup and will play in the United States, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in remarks Thursday.
“Of course Iran will play in the United States of America,” he said. “And the reason for that is very simple, dear friends, it’s because we have to unite.”
He added, “We have to bring people together. It is my responsibility, it is our responsibility. Football unites the world, FIFA unites the world, you unite the world, we unite the world.”
Iran has yet to comment on Infantino’s remarks.
Iran’s sports minister said last month the nation’s team would not participate in the global sporting event amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. A ceasefire has been in place since April 7.
The Iranian team had been scheduled to play in the tournament’s Group G, alongside Egypt, New Zealand and Belgium.
President Donald Trump was asked about the announcement at an unrelated news conference Thursday and responded, “If Gianni said it, I’m OK.”
“Let ‘em play,” the president said. “Gianni’s fantastic. You know, he’s a friend of mine, and he talked about it. I said, ‘You do whatever you want. You can have them. You don’t have to have them.’“
Trump had met with Infantino in March and told him that the Iranian soccer team is welcome to participate at this year’s World Cup, a White House official and a source familiar with the organization told ABC News.
The World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Source: ABC News
--Agencies
