Donald Trump has warned that members of Iran national football team could face threats to their “life and safety” if they participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup scheduled to take place in United States, Canada and Mexico.
Trump made the remarks on Thursday through his Truth Social platform, only two days after telling Gianni Infantino that Iranian players would still be welcome to compete despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to the World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” Trump said.
The conflict began after joint military strikes by the United States and Israel on February 28, an escalation that has raised uncertainty over whether Iran will participate in the tournament.
Infantino had earlier stated that he discussed the situation with Trump during a meeting at the White House earlier in the week.
“President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote after their meeting on Tuesday.
Infantino had in December created a FIFA peace prize and presented the award to Trump. His recent remarks also marked the first time the FIFA president publicly addressed the impact of the ongoing Middle East conflict on international football.
Meanwhile, Trump also commented on a separate issue involving members of Iran women’s national football team who sought asylum while visiting Australia.
Several members of the Iranian women’s squad reportedly requested protection after facing backlash at home over a pre-match protest that led to them being labelled “traitors.”
According to Tony Burke, seven members of the visiting team initially applied for asylum while in Australia.
One player and a support staff member sought sanctuary before the team departed Sydney for Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday evening, joining five other athletes who had previously applied for protection.
However, Burke later informed parliament that one of the players had reconsidered her decision after discussions with teammates.
“She had been advised by her teammates and encouraged to contact the Iranian embassy,” Burke said.
“As a result of that it meant the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was.”
Authorities subsequently moved the remaining players from their original safe house to another location for security reasons.
The travelling squad eventually arrived in Malaysia early Wednesday morning after leaving Sydney, according to photographs taken at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
There had been concerns among officials that male minders travelling with the squad might attempt to stop other players from seeking asylum.
Burke said Australian authorities ensured each athlete was separated from the team at the airport and given the opportunity to privately consider the asylum option.
Australian officials also stressed that the decision ultimately rested with the individual players, ensuring that any choice made regarding asylum was voluntary.
What you should know
The participation of Iran national football team in the upcoming FIFA World Cup has become a subject of political debate due to the ongoing conflict involving United States, Israel and Iran.
At the same time, the asylum requests by members of the Iran women’s national football team during their visit to Australia highlight broader political tensions affecting Iranian athletes abroad, especially when protests or political statements are made during international sporting events.
