FIFA President Gianni Infantino made it crystal clear at the FIFA Congress that the Iran national team will participate in the tournament.
Despite the conflict between the United States and Iran and Donald Trump’s recommendation that the Asian side should not attend the Mundial, Gianni Infantino confirmed the presence of the Persians at the upcoming tournament this Thursday.
“Iran will play in the Mundial, and they will do so in the United States. The reason is simple. We must unite and bring people together. FIFA unites the world. We must always remember to remain positive,” the FIFA president stated openly during the Congress held in Vancouver, Canada.
“There are too many problems in the world and people who want to divide it. If no one tries to bring us together… what will happen to our world? This is an opportunity we have at this congress and at the Mundial. We have the power and the magic to stand together because united we are invincible,” the official continued.
Curiously, the Iranian Football Federation itself was not present at the event. Their envoys snubbed FIFA after reporting insults upon their arrival in Toronto. They returned home due to “the inappropriate behaviour of immigration officials at the airport and an insult directed at one of the most prestigious branches of the Iranian Armed Forces,” as reported by the Tasnim news agency.
It is worth noting that just a week ago, the Financial Times revealed that a representative of the Trump Administration had asked FIFA for Italy to replace Iran in the Mundial. Ultimately, the Persians will be at the grand event this summer, even though they were on the verge of withdrawing at one stage.
