FIFA president says Iran will play in World Cup as Trump backs their participation: 'Let them play'
FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup, including playing matches in the United States, emphasizing the importance of unity through sports. His remarks were made during the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, where Iran was the only absent member. U.S. President Donald Trump expressed support for Iran's participation, stating he has no objection to their involvement in the tournament.
- ▪FIFA President Gianni Infantino affirmed Iran's participation in the 2026 World Cup during the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.
- ▪Iran is scheduled to play its opening match on June 15 in Los Angeles against New Zealand.
- ▪Iran was drawn into Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand.
- ▪President Donald Trump stated he supports Iran's participation in the World Cup, saying 'Let them play'.
- ▪Iran was the only absent member among the 211 nations represented at the FIFA Congress.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/article/fifa-president-says-iran-will-play-in-world-cup-as-trump-backs-their-participation-let-them-play-203753707.html","headline":"FIFA president says Iran will play in World Cup as Trump backs their participation: 'Let them play'","datePublished":"2026-04-30T20:37:53.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-30T20:37:53.000Z","keywords":["Gianni Infantino","Iran","FIFA Congress","President Donald Trump","FIFA","World Cup","the United States","Belgium","Egypt","New Zealand","Mexico"],"description":"Iran is scheduled to begin play on June 15 in Los Angeles against New Zealand.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Yahoo…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Yahoo Sports.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Yahoo Sports
