The Iranian national team announced that "no one can bar" them from the World Cup after Trump advised them to withdraw for safety reasons.
On 13 March 2026 GMT+7, diplomatic and sports tensions flared again when the Iranian national team issued a statement rebutting U.S. President Donald Trump’s recommendation that Iran’s football team should not travel to participate in the 2026 World Cup, citing safety concerns.
Earlier, President Trump posted on the platform Truth Social: “The Iranian national football team is welcome at the World Cup, but I don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be there, for their own safety.”
These remarks caused confusion in the global sports community because just days earlier, Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), disclosed that during their meeting, Trump affirmed to Infantino that the Iranian national team was welcome to participate in the U.S.
On Thursday, the Iranian national team responded via social media, stating that the World Cup is an international competition governed by FIFA—not by any individual or country.
The statement said, “The Iranian national team, with the strength and decisive victories earned by the brave sons of Iran, is among the first teams to qualify for this grand competition, and certainly no one can bar Iran from the World Cup. The only country that might be barred is the one that carries only the name ‘host’ but cannot guarantee the safety of the teams participating in this global event.”
This wording clearly criticized the U.S. as the host nation.
However, Ahmad Donyamali, Iran’s Minister of Sports, said, “Because this corrupt government assassinated our leader, under any circumstances, we cannot participate in the World Cup.” He added, “Our children are not safe, and fundamentally, the conditions for participation do not exist.”
Iran is scheduled to play three matches in the U.S., all in Los Angeles and Seattle. It remains unclear whether Iran has officially withdrawn. Both FIFA and the Iranian Football Federation have not responded to formal inquiries.
FIFA regulations Article 6.7 state: “If a participating member association withdraws and/or is barred from the World Cup, FIFA shall have full discretion to decide on the matter and take any necessary actions. FIFA may decide to replace that member association with another.”
If Iran does withdraw, Iraq—which has not directly qualified—would be the leading candidate to replace them as the next-ranked AFC team. However, Iraq is currently facing travel difficulties to Mexico for the playoff round due to Iraqi airspace being closed until at least 1 April.
Under FIFA rules, teams that withdraw may face fines of several hundred thousand dollars and possible bans from future competitions.