On Thursday, President Trump responded to Iran’s sports minister, indicating that Iran will not participate in this summer’s World Cup, an event co-hosted with the United States.
Trump, who has maintained a close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, stated, “I welcome the Iranian national soccer team’s participation at the World Cup, but I really don’t think it’s appropriate for them to be there, considering their own lives and safety.” He shared his thoughts on Truth Social.
Ahmad Donyamali commented on Iranian state television that, “it is impossible for us to participate in the World Cup” due to “evil acts” by the United States during the conflict that began on February 28, including the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khameni in an Israeli airstrike.
The night before Donyamali’s remarks, Infantino announced on Instagram that he had met with Trump, who reiterated that the Iranian team is welcome to participate in the tournament in the U.S.
“We all need events like the FIFA World Cup that bring people together now more than ever,” Infantino added, expressing gratitude for Trump’s support, which highlights FIFA’s belief that football unites the world.
Iran has qualified for the 2025 Summer World Cup and was set to play group stage matches against New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in Los Angeles and Seattle on June 15, 21, and 26, respectively.
Since the World Cup’s inception in 1930, no team has withdrawn from the finals due to political reasons, although countries have occasionally refused to take part in qualifiers based on geopolitical events. Notably, the Soviet Union was disqualified for not traveling to Chile for the 1974 Games following a coup that brought General Augusto Pinochet to power.
It remains uncertain how FIFA will manage to replace Iran within its 48-team quota. One possible solution could involve canceling the March 31 playoff between Iraq and the winner of the Bolivia vs. Suriname match, allowing Iraq to take Iran’s place.
Recently, Iraq’s national team manager Graham Arnold publicly requested FIFA to postpone the March 31 match, pointing out that Iraq’s airspace remains closed at least until April 1 due to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
