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

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The Iranian men’s national soccer team has pushed back on speculation over the team’s status for the 2026 World Cup, which is largely taking place in the U.S., releasing a statement Thursday saying that "no one can exclude" the squad from competing. 

The statement posted on social media follows remarks from Iran’s sports minister casting doubt on the team’s participation and President Donald Trump's earlier remarks that the team would be welcome to compete but that it might not be "appropriate" as the conflict in the Middle East continues. 

Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A game against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium March 25, 2025, in Tehran, Iran. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)

"The World Cup is a historic and international event, and its governing body is FIFA — not any individual country. Iran’s national team, with strength and a series of decisive victories achieved by the brave sons of Iran, was among the first teams to qualify for this major tournament," the statement posted to Instagram stories said. 

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"Certainly, no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup; the only country that could be excluded is one that merely carries the title of ‘host’ yet lacks the ability to provide security for the teams participating in this global event."

Iran is scheduled to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand June 15 and Belgium June 21 before finishing group play against Egypt in Seattle June 26. The U.S. is hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

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