Iran team condemns Trump over World Cup threats

Iran national football team has pushed back against remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting it would not be “appropriate” for Iran to take part in this year’s 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In a statement, the team stressed that the global tournament is governed by FIFA rather than any individual country.

“The World Cup is a historic and international event and its governing body is FIFA — not any individual country. Iran’s national team, with strength and a series of decisive victories achieved by the brave sons of Iran, was among the first teams to qualify for this major tournament,” the statement said.

“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”.