United States President Donald Trump has stated that Iran’s national men’s football team is “welcome” to take part in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, but he believes it may not be suitable for them to attend due to concerns about their safety.
Trump’s remarks follow comments from Iran’s Sports and Youth Minister, Ahmad Donyamali, who suggested that Iran may not be in a position to participate in the tournament.
The competition is scheduled to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico starting on 11 June.
Iran’s national team is currently scheduled to play New Zealand national football team and Belgium national football team in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June respectively, before facing the Egypt national football team in Seattle on 26 June.
However, uncertainty over Iran’s participation has grown following military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on Iran, which reportedly resulted in the death of the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
In response, Iran launched missiles and drones targeting Israel as well as four Gulf countries that host American military bases Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
Posting on the social platform Truth Social, Trump said the Iranian team would not be barred from the tournament but raised concerns about their well-being if they attended.
Earlier in the week, Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, revealed that Trump had informed him Iran would still be allowed to compete in the tournament.
However, during an interview with IRIB Sports Network, Donyamali argued that the current situation makes participation unrealistic.
He stated that following the killing of their national leader, Iran does not currently have the conditions required to send its team to the World Cup, adding that the safety of the players cannot be guaranteed.
Should Iran ultimately withdraw from what would have been its fourth consecutive World Cup appearance, FIFA regulations allow the governing body to select a replacement team. For now, however, it remains unclear which nation could take Iran’s place if that decision is made.