Idman.biz
The Iranian national team has strongly protested against US President Donald Trump's views that the team's participation in the 2026 World Cup is "unsafe and inappropriate." The Iranian side believes that the only party that should be removed from the tournament is the host United States, which cannot guarantee the safety of the participants.
Idman.Biz reports that the official statement issued by the Iranian national team emphasized that the World Championship is an international event belonging to FIFA, not to any person or country:
"The brave children of Iran were one of the first teams to qualify for the World Cup thanks to their strength and determined victories on the field. No one can remove Iran from the tournament. If someone needs to be removed, it should be the country that bears the name of host, but cannot ensure the safety of teams at a global event."
Former UFC fighter Jeff Monson also reacted to US President Donald Trump's opinion that he did not consider the Iranian national team's participation in the 2026 World Cup "appropriate." Monson called the US security excuse ridiculous and demanded that the country be deprived of the right to host international tournaments, emphasizing that the organizing country must guarantee the safety of all participants:
"This is absolutely absurd. The World Championship is the biggest sporting event on the planet after the Olympic Games. How can the safety of teams that have passed the qualifying stage and won the right to participate here not be guaranteed? If you are the organizer, you are obliged to ensure the safety of players, coaches and everyone. If you can't do it, then your hosting rights should be taken away. No country that cannot create a respectful and safe environment for athletes should be entrusted with major tournaments. This is the opinion of not only me, but everyone."
It should be noted that the 2026 World Cup, which will be held for the first time in history with an expanded composition with the participation of 48 teams, will be held from June 11 to July 19.
10:55
If the Iranian national football team unilaterally refuses to participate in the World Championship, FIFA is expected to impose very serious penalties against this country.
Idman.Biz reports with reference to "RMC Sport" that if the tournament is refused, FIFA may exclude all Iranian teams from future competitions held under its flag. In addition, the Iranian Football Federation may be fined from 275,000 euros (550,000 AZN) to 555,000 euros (1.1 million AZN) depending on the date of refusal. Also, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may impose additional sports sanctions against the team.
It should be reminded that a little earlier, the Minister of Sports of Iran, Ahmad Donyamali, hinted at withdrawing from the tournament, saying that "we definitely do not have the opportunity to participate in such circumstances." The tension peaked after the US and Israel launched missile strikes on Iran on February 28. Yesterday, US President Donald Trump said that they would be happy to see the Iranian team in the tournament, but do not consider their participation appropriate at the moment.
It should be noted that in the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada, the Iranian national team is in the same group with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand.
