Former US President Donald Trump said he would “welcome” the Iranian national soccer team to participate in the US World Cup, but advised them not to participate for “their own safety”.
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“I welcome the participation of the Iranian national soccer team in the World Cup, but considering their own safety, I do not think it is appropriate for them to participate in the World Cup,” he told the Truth social network.
The US leader’s message came a day after Iranian Sports Minister Ahman Donyamali said there were “no conditions” for Iran to participate in the World Cup after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli attack and US offensive that began on February 28.
We have no conditions to participate in the World Cup after the corrupt government killed our leaders
“There are no conditions for us to participate in the World Cup after the corrupt government killed our leaders,” he said, stressing, “We have been exposed to two wars in eight or nine months and thousands of our people have died. Therefore, we will never have a chance to participate in such a way.”
meeting at the white house
On Tuesday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino met with President Trump at the White House, where Trump told him he would “welcome” Iran’s participation in the World Cup.
“We discussed the current situation in Iran and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During our conversation, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is of course welcome to participate in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino said on Instagram.
During the meeting, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is of course welcome to participate in the tournament in the United States.
The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11th in Mexico, Canada and the United States. The Iranian national team was scheduled to play three matches in the United States. They will play New Zealand and Belgium respectively in Los Angeles on June 15th and 21st. Then on June 26th, they played against Egypt in Seattle.
In November, the US president assured that Iranian players and coaches, but not fans, would be issued visas to enter the US, citing national security reasons.
