After initially offering a World Cup “welcome” to the Iran national soccer team, United States president Donald Trump judged that it would not be “appropriate” for the side to attend this summer’s tournament co-hosted by the U.S. “for their own life and safety.”
One day before Trump’s social media post, Iran’s minister of sport Ahmad Donyamali gave the strong impression that the national team would withdraw from the 2026 World Cup amid the ongoing global conflict. “Considering that this corrupt regime has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances can we participate in the World Cup,” he told state TV.
