The statement, posted on his Truth Social platform, comes as US-Israeli airstrikes have reduced dozens of Iranian sports facilities—including the iconic Azadi Stadium—to rubble, and as Tehran vows to boycott the tournament in protest against the assassination of its leaders and the ongoing war.
The statement by the US President came just days after Trump assured FIFA President Gianni Infantino that Iran would be allowed to compete in the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
“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, offering no further explanation.
Infantino had previously stated that Trump “reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” adding that “we all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever”.
Iran’s Sports Minister: No Participation Under US-Israeli Aggression
In a direct response to Trump’s hollow assurances, Iran’s sports minister Ahmad Donyamali announced that the national team will not participate in the 2026 World Cup, citing the impossibility of safe travel to a tournament co-hosted by the United States following the US-Israeli assassination of Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the ongoing war against Iran.
“The Iranian team cannot safely travel to a tournament co-hosted by the United States after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes,” Donyamali stated.
Meanwhile, the US-Israeli military campaign has systematically targeted Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including its sports facilities. Satellite images and verified videos confirm that the 12,000-seat indoor stadium at Tehran’s Azadi Sports Complex—one of the country’s most iconic venues—suffered near-total collapse in recent airstrikes.
Similar devastation has been documented at the Besat and Esmaeili stadiums, as well as at least 13 other sports facilities across Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent. The organization reported that over 3,600 civilian sites, including homes, schools, hospitals, and commercial centers, have been damaged or destroyed in the US-Israeli assault.
International Outrage Grows as US-Israeli Aggression Escalates
The destruction of Iran’s sports infrastructure is part of a broader pattern of US-Israeli war crimes, which have killed at least 1,230 Iranian civilians since the start of the conflict. The Iranian Red Crescent has submitted documentation of the damage to international organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, for potential legal action.
In a related development, the Iranian Football Federation condemned Trump’s remarks, questioning the legitimacy of a US president dictating the participation of sovereign nations in global sporting events. The federation’s statement underscored the hypocrisy of Trump’s “safety” concerns, given the US-Israeli regime’s ongoing bombardment of Iranian cities and civilian targets.
As the US-Israeli axis continues its illegal war on Iran, the destruction of sports facilities and the targeting of athletes represent a deliberate attempt to crush the nation’s morale and unity. Trump’s empty rhetoric about “safety” rings hollow in the face of his regime’s relentless aggression, which has turned Iran’s streets into warzones and its stadiums into rubble.
The Iranian people, however, remain resolute and their refusal to participate in a World Cup hosted by their aggressors is a powerful statement of resistance against the US-Israeli war machine.