Trump says Iran ‘welcome’ to play in World Cup – FIFA boss

U.S. President Donald Trump has told FIFA President Gianni Infantino that Iran is “welcome to compete” in the upcoming World Cup, Infantino said on Wednesday. The remarks come as tensions between the United States and Iran have been rising, with both countries imposing sanctions on each other and engaging in a war of words.

Trump’s comments were made during a meeting with Infantino at the White House, where they discussed the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the potential for increased cooperation between the United States and FIFA. The meeting was also attended by several U.S. soccer officials, including U.S. Soccer Federation President Carlos Cordeiro.

“President Trump said that he would be happy if Iran qualifies for the World Cup,” Infantino told reporters after the meeting. “He said that sport has the power to bring nations together and that he is looking forward to Iran’s participation in the World Cup.”

Iran’s national soccer team, known as Team Melli, is currently ranked 21st in the FIFA World Rankings and is considered a strong contender to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The team has qualified for the tournament five times in the past, most recently in 2018. Iran’s participation in the World Cup is seen as an opportunity for the country to showcase its culture and sportsmanship on the world stage, despite the ongoing political tensions with the United States.

Analysts have noted that Trump’s comments could be seen as an olive branch to Iran, as the two countries have been at odds over a range of issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, its support for militant groups in the Middle East, and its alleged human rights abuses. However, others have cautioned that the remarks may not lead to any significant breakthroughs in the relationship between the two countries, given the deep-seated mistrust and animosity that has developed over the years.

“The fact that President Trump said Iran is ‘welcome to compete’ in the World Cup is a positive step, but it’s only a small gesture in the grand scheme of things,” said one senior official involved in U.S.-Iran relations. “There’s still a long way to go before we can say that there’s any real progress in the relationship between the two countries.”

Looking ahead, the focus now shifts to the qualification process for the 2022 World Cup, which will begin later this year. Iran will be competing against other Asian nations for one of the four and a half spots available from the continent. The final decision on Iran’s participation will ultimately be up to FIFA, which has not yet made any official statement on the matter.