FIFA president Gianni Infantino has released an official statement clarifying US President Donald Trump’s stance on Iran competing at this summer’s FIFA World Cup amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Following a joint US-Israeli strike on Iran on 28 February, which killed the nation’s leader, Ali Khamenei, concerns were raised about whether Iran’s men’s football team would still compete at the 2026 World Cup, with all three of the side’s group matches – against Belgium, New Zealand and Egypt – set to take place in the US.
There have been suggestions that Iran could pull out of the tournament despite already qualifying for the competition, with the president of the Iranian football federation saying, “What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope," last week.
Since the US-Israeli attack, Iran has responded by striking neighbouring nations – such as Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Cyprus, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia – with missiles and drones.
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Fighting has also broken out between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Shia militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, with thousands of fatalities reported. Tens of thousands of civilians have also been displaced throughout the Middle East since the conflict began.
On Monday (9 March), it emerged that Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, had been appointed as Iran’s Supreme Leader.
The conflict continues to impact sport, with England Lions and England Women’s tours of the UAE cancelled. Iranian para cross-country skier Aboulfazl Khatibi Mianaei also had to pull out of the ongoing Milan-Cortina Paralympic Games due to being unable to travel to Italy because of the conflict.
Iran’s women’s team still took part in the Asian Cup, which took place in Australia, with the team refusing to sing the national anthem ahead of their tournament opener against South Korea.
However, they did sing the anthem in the subsequent two matches against Australia and the Philippines.
Five players – Fatemeh Pasandideh, Zahra Ghanbari, Zahra Sarbali, Atefeh Ramazanzadeh and Mona Hamoudi – have since been granted a humanitarian visa by the Australian government.
But one of the players has reportedly changed her mind, according to BBC News.
So, will Iran’s men’s team still take part in the World Cup if the conflict continues?
On Wednesday (11 March), FIFA President Infantino released a lengthy statement in which he explained that he had met with US President Trump to “discuss preparations” for the World Cup, as well as the situation in Iran.
The statement read: “This evening, I met with the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump to discuss the status of preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, and the growing excitement as we are set to kick off in just 93 days.
"We also spoke about the current situation in Iran, and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup 2026. During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States.
"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 2026 FIFA World Cup will commence on 11 June.
Topics: FIFA World Cup, Donald Trump, Gianni Infantino, Football
Luke Davies