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. They will play all their games in the US.
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.
The doubts over Iran's participation came after the ongoing conflict in the Middle East following attacks on Iran by the US and Israel. The attacks were part of a joint military operation launched on 28 February 2026.
FIFA confirms Iran's participation in the tournament
Briefly News also reported that FIFA provided reassurance that Iran’s men’s football team would take part in the 2026 World Cup.
President Gianni Infantino held a meeting with President Trump to talk about World Cup preparations and Iran’s involvement.
The country's participation has been thrown into doubt amid the ongoing conflict, but FIFA sees the World Cup as an event that unifies people.
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Source: Briefly News
