Trump says not ‘appropriate’ for Iran to participate in the World Cup in US
Al Jazeera
US president, who won the FIFA Peace Prize, says Iran’s football team would be welcome but should not come for its own safety.
Donald Trump has said that it would not be appropriate for Iran’s national football team to participate in the FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States in the summer.
The US president’s comment on Thursday came after Iranian authorities ruled out taking part in the football tournament amid the US-Israeli assault against their country.
“The Iran National Soccer 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,” Trump wrote in a social media post without elaborating.
This year’s World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada, is set to kick off on June 11.
Iran’s group-stage games — against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt — are scheduled to take place in the US, in the Los Angeles area and in Seattle, Washington.
