US President Donald Trump has welcomed Iran’s involvement in the summer World Cup, according to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Iran participation in the football tournament has been thrown into significant doubt by joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran, which killed the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran responded by attacking US military bases in the Middle East.
The ongoing conflict soon after saw Iran football federation president Mehdi Taj suggest the country would not participate in the tournament, to which Trump was quoted as saying he “did not care”.
But Infantino, who awarded Trump with FIFA’s inaugural Peace Prize just three months ago, said on Tuesday that he met with the US President to discuss preparations for the upcoming tournament.
"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," he wrote in a statement posted to Instagram.
"During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States."
Iran have been drawn in Group G of the tournament and are scheduled to play three matches in the United States.
He added: "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 World Cup takes place across the US, Canada and Mexico in June and July.
Iran are due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21 and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Additional reporting by Press Association.
