Iranian President meets with FIFA President in New York

New York, The Gulf Observer: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi described sports, especially football, as one of the suitable platforms for closer relations between countries.

Following the plans of the third day of his trip to New York, President Raisi had a meeting with the President of the International Football Federation (FIFA) Gianni Infantino, which was held at the hotel where the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran resides.

The Iranian president called on the president of the International Football Federation to be careful about the influence of politicians in this popular sport and directing it towards political goals and objectives.

In this meeting, Raisi said that football is a very attractive and favourite sport of many people, especially the youth, and is one of the important fields for creating vitality in the society.

“It is necessary for the policymakers and those involved in the field of football to pay special attention to the improvement of the technical and tactical ability of the players, and the promotion of professional ethics in the athletes and the competition fields,” he added.

Gianni Infantino, the President of the International Football Federation (FIFA), while expressing his satisfaction with the meeting and conversation with the President of our country, also expressed the efforts of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the development of sports, especially football, in all parts of Iran, and thanked the very good and constructive interaction and cooperation with the Football Federation.

In this meeting, Infantino also emphasised the readiness of the International Football Federation to support Iran’s football, introduce Iran’s football capacities and talents, and familiarize the nations with Iranian culture, and suggested President Raisi to hold a football match between the World Stars team and Iran’s stars, hosted by the Islamic Republic of Iran in the near future, to which the President agreed.

The president of the International Football Federation also presented a soccer ball to President Raisi in this meeting.