President Donald Trump said Thursday that he does not think it is “appropriate” for Iran’s national soccer team to attend this year’s World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting, and he cited safety concerns as the reason as the countries remained embroiled in war.
In a post on his social media site, Trump wrote, “The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup,” but added, “I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”
The AP reported that Trump’s message appears to depart from what the Republican president said earlier this week at the White House, when he met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Infantino later publicly said Trump had assured him that Iranian players and coaches would be welcome.
The White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, told AP that Trump confirmed his message to Infantino about Iran’s participation. On Thursday, the White House did not immediately clarify what Trump meant by “their own life and safety,” including whether he was anticipating threats to the team while in the United States.
Iranian leaders said earlier this week that it is “not possible” for Iran to participate in the World Cup.
The tournament includes 48 teams. Iran is scheduled to play New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21 in the group stage, before finishing group play against Egypt on June 26 in Seattle. The United States is hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Iran’s soccer federation has planned for the team to enter June at a tournament base camp in Arizona, at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson.
The AP noted that while Iran has been subject to a travel ban into the United States as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown since June, athletes and coaches from the target nations are exempt. That exemption, the AP said, would mean the Iranian team would be allowed to enter the United States.
The AP also reported that there are likely fears among Iranian players about competing in a tournament abroad where they could be welcomed by anti-government diaspora figures, while their families face threats back home.
The issue of anthem and symbolic protest has been part of Iran’s World Cup history. At the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar, AP said Iran did not sing the anthem before a match against England, and the team did not celebrate the two goals it scored in a 6-2 loss. At that time, AP said Iran was in turmoil several weeks after the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who had been detained over alleged violations of a strict Islamic dress code.
AP also pointed to recent developments involving Iran’s women’s team. It said the women’s team, after arriving in Australia to play at its Asian Cup tournament before U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began Feb. 28, did not sing the Iranian national anthem before its first game. The report said the decision was widely interpreted as a gesture of protest or mourning, and that several members stayed in Australia on humanitarian visas afterward.
FIFA has also previously assessed World Cup safety and security planning. The AP said FIFA’s own evaluation was “low risk” for World Cup safety and security plans proposed by the U.S., Canada and Mexico soccer federations, which are guaranteed by their governments. The AP further reported that FIFA’s in-house inspection team wrote that the parties have experience hosting major sports events and that established arrangements are in place for managing security and safety at stadiums and for high-profile individuals.
Trump has often taken credit for “winning” the World Cup hosting rights in 2018, when the three neighbors beat Morocco in a vote by FIFA member federations, according to AP.
The AP also referenced Iranian athletes who have left the country to continue their careers, including Olympic refugee-team competitor and taekwondo medalist Kimia Alizadeh, who AP said criticized wearing a mandatory hijab headscarf. It also cited judo champion Saeid Mollaei, who AP said went into hiding in Germany after a dispute with Iranian team officials in 2019 and later took Mongolian citizenship.