The Iran national football team has insisted that no country or individual has the authority to exclude it from the FIFA World Cup 2026, responding to remarks by Donald Trump about the team’s potential participation.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform on 13 March 2026 that while Iran’s players would technically be welcome at the tournament, their “life and safety” could be at risk if they travelled to the United States.
“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,” he wrote.
In response, Iran’s team said in a social media statement that the World Cup is governed by FIFA and cannot be influenced by any individual country.
“The World Cup is a historic and international event and its governing body is FIFA — not any individual or nation,” the statement said.
Iran added that it had earned its place in the tournament through qualification and therefore could not be excluded.
“Iran’s national team, with strength and a series of decisive victories, was among the first teams to qualify for this major tournament,” the statement read. “Certainly no one can exclude Iran from the World Cup.”
The team also suggested that any country unable to guarantee security for participating teams should not host the tournament.
The comments come amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following a conflict triggered by US-Israeli strikes on 28 February, which has raised questions about Iran’s participation in the competition.
The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Trump later issued another message stressing that the event would be safe and successful.
“The United States of America looks very much forward to hosting the FIFA World Cup,” he wrote, adding that ticket sales were “through the roof”.
