‘Iran has to come’: FIFA president insists on allowing Iran to play in World Cup

(Riza Ozel/AP)

FIFA President Gianni Infantino reaffirmed his commitment Wednesday to facilitating Iran’s participation in the World Cup in the U.S. later this year despite the ongoing war between the two nations.

His comments come after the U.S. and Iran failed to reach an agreement to end the six-week war as President Donald Trump pushes to prevent the country from being able to develop a nuclear weapon.

The Iranian team is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. in June ahead of the tournament. The team is slated to play matches against New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles before traveling to Seattle to face Egypt.

“The Iranian team is coming for sure,” Infantino told CNBC. “We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. As I said, that would definitely help. But Iran has to come.”

Whether or not Iran will actually travel to the U.S. for the tournament remains an open question. Trump said it wouldn’t be “appropriate” for the Iranian team to attend the World Cup “for their own life and safety.” That comment came days after Infantino spoke with Trump and urged him to allow the Iranian team to compete.

In response, Iranian sports minister Ahmad Donyamali told state television that “under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup.”

Donyamali had asked FIFA to relocate their matches to Mexico, but the organization denied that request last week.

Infantino said he traveled to Antalya, Turkey, to visit the Iranian team ahead of a friendly match against Costa Rica, part of FIFA’s effort to contain the impact of the war on this summer’s tournament. Infantino said the shuttle diplomacy between Iran and Trump came from his belief that sports can bring people together

“[The Iranians] are actually quite a good team as well, and they really want to play, and they should play,” he said. “Sports should be outside of politics.”

“Now, OK, we don't live on the moon. We live on planet Earth,” he continued. “If there is nobody else that believes in building bridges and in keeping them … intact and together well, we are doing that job.”