Trump administration expects Iranian team to travel to U.S. for World Cup

The Trump administration expects Iran’s soccer team to travel to the United States for the upcoming World Cup, a senior administration official told POLITICO on Thursday.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House FIFA World Cup task force, said in an interview at the White House that U.S. officials are planning for Iran to participate despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and the absence of a broader diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran.

“I’m not going to speak for the Iranian team, but I will say that the president, when I’ve talked to him, has invited the Iranian team here,” Giuliani said. “The president of FIFA made a statement, I think, yesterday, that they’re going to be coming. So we expect them here.”

Giuliani’s remarks offer a note of optimism after weeks of uncertainty surrounding Iran’s participation in the tournament, hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, fueled by the ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran. Iran has sought to move its matches to Mexico, a request FIFA denied.

The prospect of Iran’s participation carries symbolic weight for a tournament years in the making, and one that FIFA and U.S. organizers have billed as a global event with potential to bring people together.

Giuliani added that the administration anticipates Iran will arrive in the U.S. by June 10 for its training camp in Tuscon, Arizona and then travel to Los Angeles for matches against New Zealand and Belgium, and then to Seattle, where they will face Egypt.

“We expect them to be in Tucson at the beginning of June, and then playing in L.A. and Seattle,” he said.

President Donald Trump has veered among positions, initially telling POLITICO that “I really don’t care” whether Iran participated in the tournament. He then said it would be better for their safety if they didn’t. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a Trump ally, has engaged in quiet shuttle diplomacy to try to ensure that the tournament continues as planned.

While Giuliani’s remarks are a positive sign, significant hurdles remain. The United States and Iran have not reached a lasting peace deal, and the situation could deteriorate in the weeks leading up to the tournament.

Giuliani told POLITICO that the task force is also tracking a planned “friendly” match, which would not count toward league standings or tournament results, between Iran and Puerto Rico before the World Cup begins.

“I had heard that as well. So, you know, they’re still on,” Giuliani said when asked about the friendly. “From my understanding, no plans have changed with the friendly.”

He noted that while friendlies fall outside the World Cup itself, the administration is closely focused on ensuring entry logistics proceed smoothly. “It’s a little bit different in terms of the World Cup specifically, but it’s one of the things that we are focused on, at least from a visa perspective,” Giuliani said.