The Iranian Football Federation responded to statements made by US President Donald Trump regarding the Iranian national team’s participation in the 2026 World Cup, stressing that no entity has the right to exclude the team from the global tournament.
The Iranian Football Federation said in an official statement: “The World Cup is a historic and international event, and the body in charge of it is FIFA, not any individual or country. The Iranian national team, with its strength and the series of decisive victories achieved by the brave sons of Iran, was among the first teams to qualify for this major tournament”.
The statement added: “Certainly, no one can exclude the Iranian national team from the World Cup. The only country that could be excluded is the one that merely holds the title of host country, because it lacks the ability to provide security for the teams participating in this global event”.
The Iranian Football Federation’s statement came just hours after comments by US President Donald Trump, who wrote on his Truth Social account: “The Iranian national team is welcome at the World Cup. But I don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be there, for their own safety and lives. Thank you for your concern”.
The United States, along with Mexico and Canada, is scheduled to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will feature 48 teams for the first time in the tournament’s history. The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19.
Iran is in Group G of the tournament, where it will begin its campaign against New Zealand, before meeting Belgium and then Egypt.
