A dispute has emerged over Iran’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup after US President Donald Trump suggested it would not be appropriate for the Iranian team to take part because of safety concerns.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that Iran would technically be “welcome” at the tournament but questioned whether the team should attend.

“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,” he wrote.

However, a message posted on the Iranian team’s official Telegram channel pushed back strongly against the comments, arguing that the decision lies with FIFA rather than any individual host nation.

The statement suggested that if security concerns exist, then the host country should reconsider its role instead.

“Certainly, no-one can remove the Iranian national team from the World Cup,” the message said.
“Rather, the country that should be removed is the one that merely carries the title of host but does not have the ability to ensure security for the teams participating in this event.”

The tournament will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with matches scheduled to begin on 11 June.

Iran are currently scheduled to play New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June respectively, before facing Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.

The uncertainty surrounding Iran’s participation follows recent military escalation involving the United States and Israel, which carried out strikes on Iran earlier this month that reportedly killed the country’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran later responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and several Gulf states hosting US military bases, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Earlier in the week, Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, said Trump had told him Iran would still be “welcome to compete” at the World Cup.

But Iran’s Minister of Sports and Youth, Ahmad Donyamali, suggested his country might reconsider taking part.

Speaking to the IRIB Sports Network, he said: “Given that this corrupt government has assassinated our leader, under no circumstances do we have the appropriate conditions to participate in the World Cup.

“Our boys are not safe, and conditions for participation do not exist.”

Despite those remarks, Iran has not formally withdrawn from the tournament and appears determined to make its own decision on whether to participate.

If Iran ultimately decides to withdraw from what would be its fourth consecutive World Cup appearance, FIFA regulations allow the governing body to select a replacement team, although it remains unclear which nation could take that place.

United States President Donald Trump has said Iran would still be welcome to participate in this summer’s FIFA World Cup despite escalating hostilities involving the country, according to FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Infantino revealed the comments in a post on Instagram after meeting Trump on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The competition is scheduled to begin on 11 June.

The FIFA president said the pair discussed the ongoing situation in Iran during their meeting.

“During the discussions, President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote.

“We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the president of the United States for his support, as it shows once again that football unites the world.”

Iran’s participation in the tournament had been uncertain following recent military escalation involving the United States and Israel. Strikes carried out earlier this month reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran later responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and several Gulf Arab countries that host US military bases, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Despite the tensions, Iran’s national team is currently scheduled to play three group-stage matches in the United States. They are set to face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles on 15 and 21 June respectively, before meeting Egypt in Seattle on 26 June.

Last week, Trump told Politico that he did not consider Iran’s participation a major issue, saying: “I really don’t care” if the team takes part.

However, concerns remain within Iran’s football community. Mehdi Taj, president of the Iran Football Federation, was quoted as saying that the recent attacks have made it difficult to approach the World Cup with optimism.

Meanwhile, Australia has granted humanitarian visas to several members of Iran’s women’s national football team due to concerns about their safety.

Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said seven people were initially granted asylum, although one later chose to return home.

The rest of the Iranian players departed Australia on Tuesday after the team was eliminated from the AFC Asian Cup.

Police were forced to intervene after supporters of Celtic F.C. and Rangers F.C. clashed on the pitch following a dramatic Old Firm encounter at Ibrox Stadium.

The incident occurred after Celtic supporters surged onto the pitch to celebrate their side’s 4–2 penalty shootout victory in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup quarter-final.

What began as celebrations quickly escalated when Rangers fans entered the field, triggering a confrontation between the rival groups. Flares were reportedly thrown as tensions rose, prompting police officers and stadium stewards to step in and form a human barrier separating the two sets of supporters.

Despite the brief disorder, the situation was brought under control relatively quickly, with fans eventually returning to the stands.

The match marked the first time since 2018 that Celtic supporters were granted the full allocation in the Broomloan Stand at Ibrox. In previous years, the number of away supporters allowed into the stadium had been drastically reduced to fewer than 1,000.

Historically, around 7,500 Celtic fans would fill the stand during Old Firm clashes, one of the fiercest rivalries in football.

Since the reduction in 2018, away fan allocations at both Ibrox and Celtic Park have fluctuated significantly, ranging from roughly 750 supporters to none at all, following a series of tit-for-tat decisions between the two clubs.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Football Association strongly condemned the behaviour that followed the match.

“The Scottish FA condemns the behaviour from supporters entering the field of play following today’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Quarter-Final at Ibrox Stadium,” the spokesperson said.

They added that a formal investigation will be launched immediately in accordance with the organisation’s judicial panel procedures.