Gianni Infantino says he received the assurance directly from President Donald Trump
FIFA chief Gianni Infantino has said that US President Donald Trump has assured that the Iranian team will be welcomed at the football World Cup, which the US will co-host this summer.
Infantino reported the position on Instagram on Tuesday, Trump said “He reiterated that the Iranian team is welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States.”
Iran has qualified for the World Cup finals and is scheduled to play three group matches in the US starting June 15. But Iran’s representatives were absent from a recent FIFA planning meeting in Atlanta, fueling speculation that the nation will not compete, especially if the US is denied visas amid a campaign to topple the Iranian government.
Last week, Trump told Politico that he didn’t care if the Iranian team participated, arguing that Iran “The most badly beaten country.” Iran’s soccer federation president Mehdi Taj said after the attack “We can’t expect the World Cup to look forward with hope.”
US officials have given conflicting estimates of the duration of the war, ranging from several days initially to several weeks recently. Media reports indicate that the Pentagon is preparing for at least three months of war. Iranian officials say their forces could fight for years.
Many sporting bodies globally, including the International Olympic Committee, have sanctioned Russia and Belarus for 2022 following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, imposing blanket bans on athletes and barring national teams from competitions. No similar sanctions have been imposed or formally discussed between the US and Israel.
The US-Israeli attack on Iran two weeks ago was described as preempting an imminent Iranian attack and preventing Tehran from building a nuclear weapon – an ambition it denies. The same justifications were used during last year’s 12-day conflict, triggered by Israeli strikes on Iranian targets.
Infantino was among the sports officials who argued for bans and boycotts “Don’t bring anything and contribute to more hatred.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibyga met FIFA head A “moral decay” For his remarks.
You can share this story on social media:
