Marco Rubio said the Iran national team will be welcome at the World Cup -Credit:Getty
(Getty)
The United States indicated on Thursday that Iranian players will be allowed to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, though it set strict limits on team travel and delegation access.
Speaking alongside President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were no obstacles to Iran’s national team competing in the tournament, but emphasized that individuals connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would be barred from entering the country. “Nothing from the US has told them they can’t come,” Rubio told reporters.
Rubio stressed that the concern wasn’t with the players themselves, but with non-playing staff traveling with the team. “The problem with Iran would be not their athletes. It would be some of the other people they would want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the IRGC. We may not be able to let them in but not the athletes themselves,” he said. It comes after FIFA is struggling to flog tickets for an overpriced World Cup game.
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“They can’t bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,” the US official added.
Trump was spotted nodding along to Rubio’s statement showing his agreement with the decision.
The decision comes against the backdrop of Washington’s designation of the IRGC as a “foreign terrorist organization,” with the travel restrictions flowing directly from that classification.
The Iran national team will be able to compete in the tournament -Credit:Getty
Trump also indicated that his administration wouldn’t target athletes during current geopolitical tensions, declaring at the White House that the United States “would not want to affect the athletes”, reports the Express US.
The World Cup is scheduled to kick off on June 11 and will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The US stance comes after comments from Paolo Zampolli, a Trump envoy without an official tournament position, who suggested-according to Reuters-that Italy could take Iran’s place in the competition.
Despite the rumors, there’s currently no sign that Iran will be removed or that it plans to pull out, even though Italy didn’t qualify. Trump’s strong relationship with Gianni Infantino has sparked speculation that he might try to wield influence for geopolitical gain within World Cup talks.
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Infantino has rejected concerns over participation, telling CNBC that Iran national football team will “for sure” compete in the tournament
Previously, after conflict with Iran erupted, Tehran allegedly asked that its three group-stage fixtures scheduled in the United States be relocated to Mexico. FIFA turned down the request, keeping the original hosting plans intact.
Iran’s national soccer team is set to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles, and Egypt in Seattle.