Iran has insisted that no country has the authority to exclude it from the upcoming FIFA World Cup later this year, responding sharply to remarks by Donald Trump that suggested Iranian players could face risks to their “life and safety” if they travelled to the United States.
In a social media post on Thursday, the Iran national football team argued that the United States should not be allowed to co-host the tournament if it cannot guarantee the safety of participating teams.
Trump’s comments followed an earlier assurance he gave to Gianni Infantino two days earlier that Iranian players would still be welcomed at the tournament despite the ongoing Middle East conflict.
“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 wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.
In response, the Iranian team maintained that decisions about participation in the tournament fall under the authority of the sport’s global governing body, not any individual country.
“The World Cup is a historic and international event and its governing body is FIFA, not any individual country.
“Iran’s national team, with strength and a series of decisive victories achieved by the brave sons of Iran, was among the first teams to qualify for this major tournament.
“Certainly no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup; the only country that can be excluded is one that merely carries the title of ‘host’ yet lacks the ability to provide security for the teams participating in this global event,” the statement read.
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East, triggered by joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has raised uncertainty about Iran’s participation in the global tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Trump later issued another message on his Truth Social account, emphasising that the tournament would remain safe for both players and spectators travelling from around the world.
“The United States of America looks very much forward to hosting the FIFA World Cup,” he wrote. “Ticket sales are ‘through the roof!’”
What you should know
The FIFA World Cup is the world’s largest football competition organised by FIFA and typically features 32 or more national teams from across the globe.
Iran’s national team has regularly qualified for the tournament in recent years and remains one of Asia’s strongest football sides.
However, geopolitical tensions and the ongoing war involving Iran, Israel and the United States have raised concerns about security, travel restrictions and diplomatic tensions that could affect participation in international sporting events.
