US President Donald Trump has said Iran are “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 under way on 11 June.
Infantino said he and Trump “spoke about the current situation in Iran”.
Iran are 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.
“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.”
