The Iranian national football team has responded to US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that it should not come to the FIFA World Cup 2026 out of concern for its safety by saying that no one can exclude Iran from the World Cup.
Trump on Thursday suggested on Truth Social that the “life and safety” of the Iran team might be at risk if it were to attend the global showcase in North America.
The doubts about Iran’s participation in the tournament jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and USA have been triggered by the ongoing war triggered by US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
Those doubts were accentuated by Iranian sports minister Ahmad Donyamali’s comments on Wednesday that “under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup” given the ongoing conflict.
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The Iranian national football team responded to Trump with a statement on the national team’s Instagram account saying, “The World Cup Is a historic and international event and its governing body is FIFA — not any individual, country,” while noting that Iran was among the very first teams to qualify for the World Cup.
It further rebuked the US for its inability to guarantee the team’s safety, noting, “Certainly, no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup; the only country that could 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.”
Trump’s statement came only shortly after FIFA President Gianni Infantino had offered assurances that Iran would be welcome at the event.
“President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” he wrote after the meeting on Tuesday.
Published on Mar 13, 2026
