Iranian soccer team says 'no one can exclude' squad from 2026 World Cup amid participation doubts

The Iranian men’s nationalist shot squad has pushed backmost connected speculation implicit the team’s presumption for the 2026 World Cup, which is mostly taking spot successful the U.S., releasing a connection Thursday saying that "no 1 tin exclude" the squad from competing. 

The connection posted connected societal media follows remarks from Iran’s sports curate casting uncertainty connected the team’s participation, and President Donald Trump's earlier remarks that the squad would beryllium invited to vie but that it mightiness not beryllium "appropriate" arsenic the struggle successful the Middle East continues. 

Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates aft scoring a extremity during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A crippled betwixt Iran and Uzbekistan astatine Azadi Stadium connected March 25, 2025 successful Tehran, Iran. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)

"The World Cup is simply a historical and planetary event, and its governing assemblage is FIFA — not immoderate idiosyncratic country. Iran’s nationalist team, with spot and a bid of decisive victories achieved by the brave sons of Iran, was among the archetypal teams to suffice for this large tournament," the connection posted to Instagram Stories read. 

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"Certainly, nary 1 tin exclude Iran’s nationalist squad from the World Cup; the lone state that could beryllium excluded is 1 that simply carries the rubric of ‘host’ yet lacks the quality to supply information for the teams participating successful this planetary event."

Iran is scheduled to play successful Inglewood, California, against New Zealand connected June 15 and Belgium connected June 21 earlier finishing radical play against Egypt successful Seattle connected June 26. The U.S. is hosting the tourney with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

Trump was indifferent past week erstwhile asked astir Iran’s information successful the World Cup, telling Politico, "I truly don’t care." 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino and President Donald Trump get connected the reddish carpet up of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw astatine John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts connected Dec. 5, 2025. (Brian Snyder/Reuters via Imagn Images)

TRUMP SAYS IRAN’S WORLD CUP PARTICIPATION MAY NOT BE ‘APPROPRIATE,’ WHILE ADDING MEN’S TEAM IS STILL ‘WELCOME’

But earlier this week, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Trump "reiterated" to him successful their caller talks that Iran’s shot squad would beryllium "welcome to compete" successful the U.S. 

"We besides spoke astir the existent concern successful Iran, and the information that the Iranian squad has qualified to enactment successful the FIFA World Cup 2026. During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian squad is, of course, invited to vie successful the tourney successful the United States," Infantino said successful a station shared connected Instagram. 

 "We each request an lawsuit similar the FIFA World Cup to bring radical unneurotic present much than ever, and I sincerely convey the President of the United States for his support, arsenic it shows erstwhile again that Football Unites the World."

Iran’s sports curate claimed aboriginal that a squad could not beryllium sent to the World Cup. 

Players of Iran observe aft the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A crippled betwixt Iran and Uzbekistan astatine Azadi Stadium connected March 25, 2025 successful Tehran, Iran. Iran's nationalist shot squad celebrated aft securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-2 gully against Uzbekistan. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)

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"Considering that this corrupt authorities has assassinated our leader, nether nary circumstances tin we enactment successful the World Cup," ​​Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali told authorities television, via Reuters.

Trump doubled down successful a Truth Social station connected Thursday that Iran would beryllium "welcome" to vie successful the World Cup, but added, "I truly don’t judge it is due that they beryllium there, for their ain beingness and safety." 

Iran qualified for its 4th consecutive World Cup arsenic the 20th-ranked squad successful the satellite by FIFA. The Iranian federation was incapable to be meetings successful Atlanta past week to assistance teams hole for the 48-nation tourney but is owed to be FIFA's yearly legislature successful Canada adjacent month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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