U.S. President Trump: Iran should skip World Cup 'for their safety'

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1. Iran to FIFA: Kick US out of World Cup, not us

Source: Politico

Iran to FIFA: Kick US out of World Cup, not us

“Certainly, no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup,” federation tells football chief Gianni Infantino.

March 13, 2026 3:28 pm CET
By Ferdinand Knapp

FIFA is caught between Iran and a hard place.

Tehran’s football federation has urged the world governing body to eject the U.S. from the 2026 World Cup, while America hammers Iran with missile strikes.

The U.S. is co-hosting the premier football tournament this summer along with Canada and Mexico, and the U.S.-Israeli strikes that decapitated Tehran’s leadership have thrown Iran’s participation into doubt.

Trump this week suggested it was not “appropriate” for the Iranian team to attend for their “own life and safety,” not long after FIFA President Gianni Infantino assured people that Trump had said it was “welcome to compete in the tournament.”

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Read more: https://www.politico.eu/article/iran-football-fifa-infantino-kick-united-states-out-world-cup-not-us/