“Iran will be at the World Cup,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino told AFP on Tuesday (31), who is in Antalya, southern Turkey, to watch a friendly match with the Iranian football team.
“We are here for this. We are satisfied because it is a very, very strong team. I am very happy”, added the president of the entity that governs world football during halftime of the match between Iran and Costa Rica.
Uncertainties surrounding the Iranian team’s participation in the World Cup arose after the start of attacks by the United States and Israel on the Middle Eastern country at the end of February.
United States President Donald Trump even said earlier this month that Iran should not participate in the next World Cup in North America, just days after telling the head of FIFA that they would be welcome despite the war in the Middle East.
“The Iran national soccer team is welcome at the World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate for them to be there, for their own lives and safety,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
“No one can exclude the Iranian team from the World Cup,” the team said on its Instagram account, in response to the American president.
“The World Cup is a historic and international event and its governing body is FIFA, not an individual or a country. The Iran national team, with strength and a series of decisive victories, was among the first teams to qualify for this great event,” the Iranian team stated.
“No one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup; the only country that could be excluded is the one that holds the title of ‘host’ and yet does not have the capacity to guarantee the safety of the teams participating in this global event,” he added.
Iran is in Group G of the World Cup, alongside Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand
