United States President Donald Trump has said Iran is “welcome” to take part in this summer’s World Cup despite the countries being at war, according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Posting on Instagram, Infantino said he met with Trump on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the tournament, which is being hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico and gets underway on June 11.
Infantino said he and Trump “spoke about the current situation in Iran.”
Iran is scheduled to play three matches in the US, but their participation has been in doubt since the US and Israel launched strikes on the country this month, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran responded by launching missiles and drones towards Israel and four Gulf Arab countries, which host US military bases, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
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“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino said.
“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.”
Iran is due to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on June 15 and 21, respectively, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Trump last week told Politico, external “I really don’t care” if Iran play in the World Cup.
Following the outbreak of military action, Iran Football Federation President Mehdi Taj has been quoted as saying: “What is certain is that after these attacks, it’s hard to look at the World Cup with hope.”
