Donald Trump has given his blessing for Iran to play at this summer’s World Cup despite the country’s ongoing conflict with America.
Discussions over Iran’s place in the international soccer tournament – set to be held across the US, Canada and Mexico – have been rife amid the war in the Middle East, with one of Trump’s top representatives even calling for them to be kicked out and replaced with Italy.
Earlier this month US special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested to both the US President and FIFA President Gianni Infantino that Italy, who failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, take Iran’s spot this summer.
Yet Trump revealed last week that he had put little thought into that suggestion, while Infantino claimed ‘the Iranian team is coming, for sure.’
The FIFA chief maintained that stance at the soccer governing body’s Congress on Thursday, and when asked about Infantino’s remarks, Trump said: ‘Well if Gianni said it, I’m OK.’
When asked what would happen if Iran won the World Cup, he added: ‘If they win we’ll have to worry about that. I’m going to have to worry about that one.
Donald Trump has given his blessing for Iran to participate in this summer’s World Cup
Iran’s ongoing conflict with America plunged their place at the tournament into major doubt
‘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. 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 who posed the initial question said he had no idea, before Trump said: ‘It would be hard to believe actually. But let them play, right?’
Iran’s soccer federation said in a statement last Wednesday that it very much still plans to participate in the World Cup.
They qualified as one of eight teams from the Asian Football Confederation, while Italy failed to secure one of the 16 European spots.
It marks the third consecutive World Cup they have not qualified for, coming as a disaster for the 2021 European champions.
According to FIFA’s rule book, the governing body has ‘sole discretion’ to decide what action to take if Iran were to boycott the World Cup this summer.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has maintained that Iran will be competing at the World Cup
‘FIFA may decide to replace the Participating Member Association in question with another association,’ the rules state.
The organization used its powers to hand a spot at last summer’s Club World Cup to Inter Miami and enable soccer legend Lionel Messi to play in the process, despite the MLS franchise not achieving anything in recent years to warrant automatic inclusion.
The World Cup is scheduled to begin on June 11, with the final taking place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.
Iran’s first group game comes against New Zealand on June 15, before they face Belgium on June 21 and Egypt on June 26.
