Trump in no position to determine Iran presence in World Cup: Football chief

An Iranian sports executive says US President Donald Trump is in no position to speak about the presence of Iran's national football team in the 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026.

The major football event will be jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States in June and July, and comes amid the recent US-Israel war of aggression against Iran, a participating nation in the competition.

“He (Trump) is not in a position to say whether there is a problem or not. We have been qualified for the World Cup and when you are qualified, it is not a gift to give and take,” President of Iran’s Football Federation Mehdi Taj told reporters on Friday.

He said the Iranian national football team has qualified to participate in the World Cup, and it is its right.

The Iranian football chief made the remarks after the US president told reporters that he is “OK” with Iran playing in the upcoming football World Cup, following comments by FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Thursday, who said Iran would be present at the tournament and would play in the US.

“If Gianni said it, I’m OK,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “You know what? Let them play.”

Iran's national football team is pressing forward with its 2026 World Cup preparations, with officials naming the team's convoy "Minab 168" as a tribute to schoolchildren killed in the US-Israeli strikes in Minab, southern Iran.

Iranian football federation's 2026 World Cup cultural committee met on Tuesday to officially name the Iranian convoy "Minab 168" in memory of the 168 schoolchildren, most of them girls, who were martyred on February 28, the first day of the US-Israeli war of aggression.

The unprovoked and illegal aggression, which came amidst nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure across the country, including the elementary school in Minab, sparking anger and outrage across the country.

Despite the war shuttering the domestic league for more than 40 days, the team's training camps continued, officials said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Taj stressed the importance of respecting Iran’s power, dignity and flag during the tournament.

He said Iran should receive assurances that there will be no other flag except Iran’s official flag during the games.

He also slammed an “insulting” behavior by Canadian officials during his recent visit to the country to take part in the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, prompting him to return to Tehran.

“In a conversation I had with the FIFA Secretary General, I criticized the insulting behavior of Canadian officials. Given these circumstances, we should have a meeting with FIFA leaders so that they will assure us that Iran's dignity will be preserved in all matters related to the presence of the national team,” he added.

He said the Iranian delegation to the FIFA Congress arrived in Canada with valid visas and necessary permits but the host country’s officials then claimed that more investigations were needed, alleging connections to the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).

After two hours, Taj explained, the officials said that members of the Iranian team are allowed to enter the country “but we said that due to the circumstances that had arisen, we would return to Tehran.”

He emphasized that FIFA has lost its power and is “intimidated” by the US.

Taj noted that the Football Federation received a letter on Friday in condemnation of the Canadian officials’ attitude. 

Although the FIFA president claimed that the Iranian team is "welcome to compete", the ultimate decision on whether Iran will travel to the tournament currently rests with the Iranian cabinet and the country’s top security body.

Iran’s Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali recently hinted that the team could skip the event due to the US-Israel military aggression against Iran, including its sports infrastructure.

"Our players do not have security, and fundamentally, the conditions for participation do not exist," he said recently.

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