The Japanese soccer legend says his opinion is leading an American company to cancel an advertising campaign ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
Posted on March 15, 2026
Former Japanese soccer player Keisuke Honda says he lost an advertising contract in the United States after expressing his support for the Iranian team’s participation in the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Without naming the sponsor, Honda revealed on Saturday that an advertisement by a US-based company had been “suspended” after it posted on X that it wanted Iran to compete in the tournament jointly organized by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
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“I know it’s a very sensitive thing, but I personally want them to participate in the World Cup,” the 39-year-old wrote in a tweet on Thursday, a day after Iran’s sports minister said the country cannot participate in the World Cup after the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran and killed its supreme leader.
Honda, who represented Japan from 2008 to 2018 and scored 38 international goals for his country, posted a follow-up tweet indicating that the ad, which was expected to be finalized in time for the World Cup, had been archived due to its previous publication.
“This statement apparently caused an American company to cancel an advertisement that was about to be finalized to coincide with the World Cup,” he wrote.
“We want nothing to do with companies that ignore the essence of things and make decisions based on corrupt thoughts.”
Iran’s place in the 48-team tournament is in doubt even after they qualified due to the US-Israeli attacks that began on February 28, following which Tehran responded by launching waves of missiles and drones at Israel, several military bases in the Middle East where US forces operate and infrastructure in the region.
The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup will be held in the three host countries from June 11 to July 19, and all of Iran’s group stage matches have been scheduled at venues on the west coast of the United States.
The former Samurai Blue represented his country in the 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups and is among the 10 players with the most caps and the five top scorers for the Asian giants.
Honda was named the most valuable player in Japan’s Asian Cup title run in 2011. After representing 11 clubs on five continents, the attacking midfielder hung up his boots in 2024 and moved into coaching.
The golden-haired player enjoys hero status in his home country and is one of Japan’s most recognized international footballers.
He expressed his opinion on Team Melli’s participation amid rising tensions between the host nation, the United States, and Iran.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that it would not be appropriate for Iran to participate in the World Cup.
“Iran’s national soccer team is welcome to the World Cup, but I really don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be there, for their own lives and safety,” Trump wrote in a social media post without elaborating.
The Iranian team’s Instagram account quickly responded to Trump’s comments, questioning whether the US president should comment on participation in the team.
“The World Cup is a historic and international event, and its governing body is FIFA, not an individual country,” he wrote.
The story also criticized Trump for failing to provide adequate security for Iran’s national soccer players.
“Certainly, no one can exclude the Iranian team from the World Cup,” the message continued. “The only country that could be excluded is one that simply carries the title of ‘host’ but lacks the ability to provide security for the teams participating in this global event.”
Trump later posted another message on his social media platform to emphasize that the event would be safe for players and spectators around the world.
