(US, Mexico, and Canada customers only) December 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, United States; FIFA President Gianni Infantino and U.S. President Donald Trump arrive on the red carpet at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ahead of the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Ernst-Reuters via Imagn Images US President Donald Trump on Thursday suggested that Iran’s national soccer team should not participate in the upcoming FIFA World Cup as a personal safety measure.
“I welcome Iran to play in the United States this summer,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, a social media platform he owns. “But I don’t think it’s really appropriate for them to be there for their own lives and safety. Thank you for your attention to this issue.”
Each of Iran’s three group stage matches will be held on American soil.
Iran will face New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 in Group G in Inglewood, California. Iran is scheduled to face Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
The United States and Israel began their war against Iran on February 28 with a series of airstrikes that killed Iran’s longtime Supreme Leader Ali Khameini and other officials.
Iran’s national sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, reportedly told state television this week that Iran would not be able to participate in the World Cup following Khameini’s death.
The White House did not immediately provide an explanation for the ‘safety’ reference in Trump’s post, which appeared to contradict comments he made during a recent meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is welcome to compete in the tournament held in the United States,” Infantino wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.
“More than ever before, we all need events like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together. We truly appreciate the support of the President of the United States as it shows once again that soccer unites the world.”
The 48-team World Cup, the largest in the tournament’s history, will run from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Iran planned to train in Tucson, Arizona, before the group stage.
Iran, ranked 20th in the world, is one of the top teams in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and succeeded in advancing to the World Cup finals for the fourth time in a row in March last year. They were eliminated in the group stage in 2022, losing 1-0 to the United States in Doha, Qatar.
Iranian players and coaches were exempt from the travel ban President Trump imposed on Iran in June.
–Field level media
