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‘Can’t bring IRGC terrorists’: US draws red line on Iran World Cup entry, flags ‘pretend trainers’
Marco Rubio said that the concern lies with non-playing members travelling with the team. “The problem with Iran would be not their athletes."
United States signalled on Thursday that Iranian players will be allowed to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, even as it drew a firm line on who can accompany them.
Standing beside President Donald Trump, secretary of state Marco Rubio said there is no objection to the team’s presence, but individuals linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would not be permitted entry.
“Nothing from the US has told them they can't come,” Rubio told reporters.
‘No problem with athletes’
Rubio stressed that the concern lies with non-playing members travelling with the team. “The problem with Iran would be not their athletes. It would be some of the other people they would want to bring with them, some of whom have ties to the IRGC. We may not be able to let them in but not the athletes themselves,” he said.
“They can't bring a bunch of IRGC terrorists into our country and pretend that they are journalists and athletic trainers,” the US official added.
This comes as Washington has designated the IRGC as a “foreign terrorist organization,” and the restriction flows from that classification.
US President Donald Trump also indicated that his administration does not intend to penalise sportspersons amid geopolitical tensions. Speaking at the White House, he said the US “would not want to affect the athletes.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to kick off on June 11 and will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Earlier calls to replace Iran
The US position comes after comments by Paolo Zampolli, a Trump envoy with no formal role in the tournament, who had suggested that Italy should replace Iran in the competition, reported news agency Reuters.
However, there is currently no indication that Iran will be barred or that it plans to withdraw – despite Italy having missed qualification.
Following the outbreak of the Iran war, Tehran had asked FIFA to relocate its three group-stage matches from the US to Mexico. The request was turned down, leaving the original hosting plan unchanged.
Now, the tournament will unfold against the backdrop of ongoing regional tensions.
The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering retaliatory attacks by Tehran on Israel and Gulf states hosting US bases.
A fragile ceasefire in the Iran war has been in place for over two weeks, but the security situation continues to influence diplomatic and logistical decisions tied to global events like the World Cup.
The wider conflict, including Israeli operations in Lebanon, has led to thousands of deaths and mass displacement. Earlier, Trump said that Israel-Lebanon ceasefire has been extended by three weeks as the US meeting with envoys went “very well”.
