Iran’s Football Team Fires Back at Donald Trump Over 2026 FIFA World Cup Participation Comment
- The Iranian Men’s National Football Team has officially responded to Donald Trump over his comments about the upcoming FIFA World Cup
- Trumo suggested that the team should not participate in the 2026 edition of the tournament due to risks to their lives and safety
- Trump's statement comes after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, sparking an ongoing conflict in the Middle East
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
The Iranian Men’s National Football Team has officially responded to Donald Trump, after the United States President suggested that the team not participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
The 2026 edition of the tournament will kick off in June 2026, with Mexico, Canada and the US serving as hosts. With the US currently attacking Iran alongside Israel, questions were raised about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Team Melli, as they are known, are drawn into Group G alongside New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently confirmed that he spoke to Trump, who didn’t have a problem with the Iranian team participating in the tournament, but the US President’s stance has seemingly changed.
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What did Trump say?
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the Iranian team was welcome, but he did not believe it was appropriate for them to participate.
"The Iranian 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter," Trump shared.
The football team did not take too kindly to Trump’s post, taking to social media to reply to the US President. Tagging the Infantino in the post, the team stated that the tournament was a historic and international event with FIFA as its governing body, and not any individual or country.
“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,” the post read.
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Hidden detail: Trump's changed stance on Iranian participation 's Minister of Sports previously also weighed in on the situation, saying that his country could not participate under any circumstances, framing it as a response to the broader conflict between the two nations.
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Source: Briefly News
