Washington, United States. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had no objections to Iranian players participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but added they would not be allowed to bring people with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
US position on Iranian team participation
“Nothing from the U.S. has told them they can’t come,” Rubio told reporters. President Donald Trump also said his administration “would not want to affect the athletes” in comments he made at the White House.
Entry restrictions linked to IRGC ties
Rubio said the issue would not be the athletes but “some of the other people they would want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the IRGC.” He added, “We may not be able to let them in but not the athletes themselves.”
Rubio also said, “They can’t bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers.” Washington has designated the IRGC as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
World Cup schedule and earlier replacement suggestion
The 2026 World Cup is set to begin on June 11 across the United States, Mexico and Canada. Paolo Zampolli, a Trump envoy who has no official connection with the World Cup, had earlier suggested that Italy should replace Iran at the tournament.
Status of Iran’s participation and FIFA venue request
Currently there is no suggestion Iran will withdraw or be banned from the tournament that Italy missed out on. After the start of the Iran war, Iran requested that FIFA move the team’s three group matches from the U.S. to Mexico, which was rejected.
Conflict timeline and ceasefire
The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf states with U.S. bases. U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions. A fragile ceasefire in the Iran war began over two weeks ago.
What do you think the US entry rules for team staff could mean for Iran’s World Cup delegation?