Idman.biz
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has stated that official Washington is not preventing the Iranian national team from participating in the final stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He said that the US authorities have not made any official decision to ban Iranian athletes from entering the country.
İdman.Biz reports that Rubio emphasized that potential difficulties may be related not to the players, but to the people accompanying them.
"No one in the US has said that the Iranian national team is prohibited from coming. The problem is not with the athletes, but with some other people they want to bring with them. We may not allow those people to enter the country, but this does not apply to the football players," Rubio noted.
The Secretary of State also commented on rumors that the Italian national team would replace Iran. He noted that if Iran decides not to participate in the tournament, it will be their personal choice.
It is worth recalling that some time ago, special envoy Paolo Dzampolli proposed to FIFA to consider Italy's candidacy instead of Iran.
It should be noted that the FIFA World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19, 2026, in stadiums in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
