Iran’s soccer team pushes back against Trump comments: ‘No one can exclude’ from playing in World Cup
GENEVA — Iran’s national soccer team responded to comments made by US President Donald Trump by saying that no country has the authority to bar it from competing in the upcoming men’s World Cup in the United States.
In a message posted Thursday on the team’s official Instagram account, Iranian players suggested that if any team should face exclusion, it might be the United States — particularly after Trump raised concerns about whether Iranian players could be kept safe during the tournament.
Trump said in a social media post Thursday that Iran’s team would be allowed to take part in the World Cup despite the ongoing conflict involving Iran. However, he added that he did not believe it was appropriate for the team to participate because of concerns about the players’ safety. Iran is scheduled to play all three of its group-stage matches in the United States, which is hosting the tournament alongside Canada and Mexico.
The regional conflict has created uncertainty about whether Iran will ultimately be able to participate. Earlier this week, Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, told state television that the current situation made it impossible for the team to play.
Despite that statement, the national team’s social media response made clear that it still intends to compete. The post emphasized that decisions about participation in the World Cup are made by FIFA, not by any individual leader or country.
“The World Cup is a historic international event governed by FIFA, not by any single person or nation,” the statement said. “No one can exclude Iran’s national team from the tournament. The only country that could be excluded is one that claims to be the host but cannot guarantee the safety of teams competing in this global event.”
Iran is set to open its World Cup schedule on June 15 in Inglewood, California, where it will face New Zealand. The team will then play Belgium on June 21, also in Inglewood, before concluding its group-stage matches against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Trump’s comments on the issue have varied in recent days. Last week he said he did not particularly care whether Iran played in the tournament. Later, during a meeting at the White House on Tuesday with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Trump stated that Iran’s team would be welcome at the competition.
Iran remains one of Asia’s strongest soccer nations. It is ranked 20th in the world by FIFA and has qualified for its fourth consecutive World Cup. The Iranian soccer federation plans to base the team in Arizona during the tournament, using the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson as its training site.
Ahead of the World Cup, Iranian soccer officials are scheduled to attend FIFA’s annual congress on April 30 in Vancouver. The federation was unable to participate in tournament preparation meetings held last week in Atlanta for the expanded 48-team competition.
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