By Humberto Viera
In a statement that adds tension to the organization of the 2026 World Cup, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Thursday that the head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, gave him the power to decide on the entry of the Iranian team into the country. These statements arise in the midst of the war conflict that began in February between Washington and the Islamic Republic.
“Gianni is fantastic, he is a friend of mine,” Trump said during an event at the White House. “He told me, ‘Do whatever you want. You can accept them or not. You don’t have to have them.'” Despite these words, hours earlier, at the 76th FIFA Congress held in Vancouver, Infantino had confirmed that Iran will participate in the World Cup.
The US government’s stance appears to have shown some flexibility following FIFA’s announcement. When informed of Infantino’s official decision, Trump softened his tone: “Well, if Gianni has decided, then that’s fine with me,” although he did not miss the opportunity to joke about the sporting level of the Persian team, questioning whether they really had a good selection.
Incident in Toronto
The Iranian delegation, led by Mehdi Taj, was unable to attend the FIFA Congress. According to the Tasnim agency, the officials had to return to Iran due to “inappropriate behavior” by immigration authorities at the airport in Toronto, Canada.
On the other hand, the US Secretary of State clarified that, although players could enter, access will be denied to any member of the technical staff that Washington vincule with the Revolutionary Guard.
Iran, which qualified brilliantly as the leader of Group A in Asia, is in Group G. Their matches are scheduled in cities on the west coast of the United States, an area of high political sensitivity such as Los Angeles (against New Zealand and Belgium) and Seattle (against Egypt).
The challenge for FIFA and the organizing committee (USA, Mexico and Canada) will be to ensure the safety and sporting fairness of a team whose country is technically at war with one of the main hosts.
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