Former President Donald Trump publicly endorsed the idea that Iran should be allowed to compete on U.S. soil during the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, summarizing his stance with a simple "Let them play." The issue of Iran's participation has been clouded by geopolitical tension since the United States and Israel carried out air strikes against Iranian targets on February 28.
Despite those events, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has repeatedly assured fans and officials that the Iranian national team will appear in the tournament as planned, with all three of its group‑stage matches slated to be held in the United States. Infantino reiterated that commitment at the FIFA Congress in Vancouver on Thursday. When a reporter asked Trump about Infantino’s statements during a later media briefing, the former president responded, "Well, if Gianni said it, I'm okay with it. Did Gianni say it?
Gianni Infantino – that’s a piece of work." When pressed about the scenario in which Iran might actually win its matches, Trump replied, "If they win, we’ll have to worry about that. I’m going to have to worry about that one. You know what, let them play.
Gianni is fantastic, he’s a friend of mine, he talked about it, I said, ‘you do whatever you want.’" He added, "You can have them, you don’t have to have them, they probably have a good team. Do they have a good team, do you have any idea?" The reporter admitted he had no knowledge of Iran’s football quality, prompting Trump to say, "It would be hard to believe, actually. But let them play, right?" Under the current draw, Iran could potentially meet the United States in the Round of 32 in Dallas if both sides finish second in their respective groups.
Trump has previously warned that allowing Iran to participate might be "inappropriate" given concerns for the safety of American players and spectators, but his later comments seemed to soften that earlier position. Infantino opened his address at the Vancouver congress with a firm affirmation: "Let me start at the outset by confirming straight away, for those who maybe want to say something else or write something else, that of course Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026. And of course, Iran will play in the United States of America.
The reason for that is simple, because we have to unite. We have to bring people together." Iran's first match in the tournament will be against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. Interestingly, Iran was the only one of FIFA's 211 member associations that did not have federation officials present in the Vancouver hall. The congress also featured a tense moment involving the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) president Jibril Rajoub, who refused to stand next to Israel FA vice‑president Basim Sheikh Suliman when Infantino called both men to the front.
Rajoub declined Infantino’s invitation to close the physical gap between himself and Suliman, a gesture that was meant to symbolize reconciliation. According to Palestinian FA vice‑president Susan Shalabi, who was in the room, Rajoub’s refusal was rooted in a profound objection to what she described as "the Israelis bringing a hand‑shake to whitewash their fascism and genocide." She told Reuters, "I cannot shake the hand of someone the Israelis have brought to whitewash their fascism and genocide! We are suffering." Israel, for its part, denies any accusations of genocide in Gaza. Infantino attempted to smooth the situation by saying, "We will work together, President Rajoub, Vice‑President Suliman.
Let's work together to give hope to the children. These are complex matters." Shalabi later criticized the forced handshake attempt, saying it ignored the substance of Rajoub’s earlier speech, which warned against Israeli clubs operating in West Bank settlements.
She argued that the gesture trivialized the broader political context and could set a dangerous precedent for ignoring the rights of member associations. The Palestinian federation has recently taken legal action, filing an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against FIFA’s decision not to sanction Israel over the presence of clubs in West Bank settlements. The PFA maintains that any Israeli club located in those settlements should be barred from competing in leagues run by the Israel Football Association, as the territories are claimed by Palestinians for a future state. FIFA’s response last month was to cite the unresolved legal status of the West Bank under international law and to refrain from punitive measures.
Looking ahead, the 2027 FIFA Congress will allow member associations to vote on the next president. Infantino, who is expected to seek a third full four‑year term, effectively guarantees his continuation through 2031, which would also cover the centennial 2030 World Cup scheduled to be co‑hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. By the end of that term, Infantino would have served roughly 15 years—just two years fewer than his predecessor Sepp Blatter. Infantino first won the presidency in 2016, a term that was originally intended to be his final one.
However, FIFA amended its statutes so that only full terms count toward the three‑term limit, opening the door for another re‑election. He was re‑elected unopposed in 2019 after the voting process was removed, and again in 2023 under the same circumstances.
Although the FIFA statutes call for a vote by all 211 member associations, Infantino’s overwhelming support from federations outside Europe has turned his elections into a procedural formality. During his closing remarks, Infantino highlighted several achievements of his administration. He pointed to a development budget of $2.7 billion (about £2 billion) earmarked for the 2027‑2030 cycle—a figure that represents an eightfold increase compared with the period before his tenure.
He also noted that revenue for the current 2022‑2026 cycle is projected to exceed $14 billion (approximately £10.3 billion), largely driven by the massive commercial success of this summer’s World Cup. Ticket pricing for the tournament has been a contentious issue, with critics arguing that the dynamic pricing model favours wealthier fans. Infantino defended the approach, stating, "We had 500 million ticket requests. In the last two World Cups together, we had 50 million requests.
Here, 500 million. We sold 100 percent of the inventory that we put on the market, which is more or less 90 percent of the global inventory so far. And of course, we are always putting tickets on the market. There are expensive tickets, yes, but there are also affordable tickets." He emphasized that all revenue generated is reinvested into the sport, supporting member associations and funding new and existing competitions through the FIFA Forward programme.
In summary, the debate over Iran’s participation in the 2026 World Cup has highlighted the intersection of sport, politics, and diplomacy. While Trump’s casual endorsement of "let them play" reflects a willingness to set aside geopolitical concerns in favour of competition, the broader FIFA community continues to grapple with the complex realities of regional conflicts, legal disputes, and the financial structures that underpin modern football.