Statements from Donald Trump suggesting Iran should not participate in the 2026 World Cup have drawn criticism and put FIFA under scrutiny. The world football governing body has been reminded of a previous decision to sanction Indonesia.
Trump weighed in on the Iranian national team, which had previously indicated it might withdraw from the 2026 World Cup. The United States President expressed concern for the safety of Team Melli should they compete.
“The Iran National Football Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” he wrote.
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This statement contrasts with FIFA’s earlier assurances regarding Iran’s safety at the 2026 World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino even referenced Trump in a statement.
“We also discussed the current situation in Iran, and the fact that the Iranian team has qualified for the 2026 World Cup. During the discussion, President Trump reiterated that Iran is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” a FIFA statement released through Infantino read.
“We all need events like the World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the President of the United States for his support, as this once again shows that Football Unites the World,” it continued.
The latest comments from Donald Trump are being viewed as a subtle attempt to exclude Iran from the 2026 World Cup. This has prompted many to remind FIFA of its previous sanctioning of Indonesia.
FIFA had revoked Indonesia’s hosting rights for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup after the nation refused to allow the participation of Israel.
Now, Trump’s actions are seen as a form of boycott against Iran, fueled by the ongoing conflict between the U.S. And Iran. FIFA is facing criticism online, with calls to revoke the U.S.’s hosting status for the 2026 World Cup, mirroring the situation with Indonesia.
“Indonesia had its hosting rights for the U-20 World Cup revoked after a governor refused to accept the Israeli national team. Here, the president of the host country is directly threatening a nation that has already qualified. Let’s see what excuse Infantino will come up with to explain this,” tweeted user @Felogolero.
“This is the man who was given a “Peace Award” by @FIFAcom! Compare this to what FIFA did to Indonesia in 2023, when Indonesia—originally set to host the U-20 World Cup that year—refused to allow Israel to participate in the tournament,” wrote user @toi_rohanA.
“I remember Indonesia being stripped of its U-20 World Cup hosting rights since they wouldn’t allow Israel to participate in the tournament, so FIFA should do the same to the US, but they won’t 🫠,” tweeted user @Ivoirinho.
“Remember, Indonesia was stripped of its hosting rights for the 2023 U-20 World Cup because they didn’t allow Israel to participate in the tournament. We know Infantino will listen to his father, Trump, because he doesn’t have the guts to do anything,” criticized user @talks_michael.
(yna/ran)
