Trump Raises ‘Life and Safety’ Concerns Over Iran’s World Cup Participation
- US President Trump has raised safety concerns about Iran's participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- The Iranian national football team faces uncertainty amid the escalating Middle Eastern tensions
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that Iran is welcome, despite conflicting statements from Iranian officials
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Getty Images
UNITED STATES - The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has said it may not be appropriate for the Iranian national football team to take part in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Iran welcome to participate in the competition
Trump made the remarks in a social media post, saying Iran's national team was welcome at the tournament but suggesting it would not be suitable for them to attend "for their own life and safety". This comes amid 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. The comments came a day after Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, said he had met Trump on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, and that the US leader had indicated Iran would be welcome to participate in the competition.
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Infantino met Trump again later, after which Trump reportedly reiterated that Iran could still take part in the tournament. Iran's sports minister later said the team would not be able to participate. Iran is scheduled to begin their World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June 2026. Iran will then play Belgium in California on 21 June, before playing their final game in Seattle on 27 June 2026 against Egypt. Ironically, Iran and the US were drawn together in the same group in the 2022 edition of the tournament.
Source: Getty Images
Other stories about the US-Iran conflict
Donald Trump has declared that the United States has won the war, but Iran doesn’t seem to agree. The President of the US even claimed that his country had won within the first hour, but despite his claims, the war rages on. The conflict began on 28 February 2026, when the US and Israel launched a joint military attack on Iran.
United States President Donald Trump reacted negatively to the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as Iran’s Supreme Leader. According to SABC News, Trump said that the election of Khamenei, the son of former Ayatollah Khamenei, was a disappointing choice. Khamenei’s father was killed when the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran.
President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran was working on a new site for developing material for nuclear weapons, which is why he opted to attack the country. The US President said the war started because Iran was starting work on a new site for developing material for nuclear weapons. The US previously bombed Iran’s nuclear sites in June 2025, with Trump saying that it was ‘very successful’ and necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
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Source: Briefly News
