Trump tells Iran team to skip FIFA World Cup for 'their own life and safety'
The Hindu
Trump advises Iran's soccer team to skip the FIFA World Cup for safety, amid rising tensions and recent geopolitical events.
President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday (March 12, 2026) that Iran’s national soccer team should withdraw from the upcoming FIFA World Cup as a personal safety measure.
Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns, that Iran is welcome to play this summer in the United States, “but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Each of Iran’s three group stage matches is scheduled to take place on American soil.
The Iranians open Group G play in Inglewood, Calif., against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21. They are slated to face Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
The U.S. and Israel initiated war with Iran on Feb. 28 with a series of airstrikes that killed the longtime Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khameini, and other officials.
Iran’s national sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, reportedly told state television this week that the country could not participate in the World Cup following Khameini’s death.
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