US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US had not told the Iranian national team they could not play.
Published April 24, 2026
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US government is not opposed to Iranian players participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but added that the players would not be allowed to be accompanied by anyone associated with the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Since the war between the United States and Israel against Iran began on February 28, Iran’s participation in this summer’s FIFA global trade fair has been in doubt, as all of Iran’s group stage matches are scheduled to be played in the United States.
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“There’s nothing that says they can’t come from the United States,” Rubio told reporters.
“Iran’s problem will not be the players. It will be other people that Iran wants to bring in, some of whom have ties to the Revolutionary Guards. We may not be able to let them into the country, but not the players themselves,” Rubio said.
“They can’t bring a bunch of Revolutionary Guard terrorists into our country and pretend to be journalists and athletic trainers,” Rubio added.
Washington designated the Revolutionary Guards as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
US President Donald Trump spoke alongside Rubio, adding that his administration “doesn’t want to influence the players.”
The World Cup begins on June 11th in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
There has been speculation about Iran’s participation, with Iranian and U.S. officials weighing in.
However, Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said in a statement on Wednesday that all necessary arrangements for the team’s participation in the tournament were being ensured by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs.
However, President Trump’s special envoy reportedly suggested that Italy, which missed out on the World Cup for the third consecutive time, should compete in this year’s World Cup instead of Iran.
Italian-American Paolo Zampoli, the US special envoy for international relations, told the Financial Times that he had made the proposal to both President Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“I’m from Italy and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri in a competition hosted by the United States. With four titles under their belt, they have the pedigree to justify their inclusion in the squad,” Zampoli, who is not officially affiliated with the World Cup or Italian soccer, said earlier this week.
Italy’s Sports Minister Andrea Abodi condemned the idea, saying: “It’s not appropriate… You deserve to be on the pitch,” while Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti described the concept as “shameful”.
Iran qualified for the World Cup for the fourth consecutive year last year, but after the outbreak of war, they asked FIFA to change the venue for their three group stage matches from the United States to Mexico, a proposal that was rejected.
Iran currently appears to be proceeding according to plan.
“We are preparing and coordinating the World Cup, but we will be amenable to the decisions of the authorities,” Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj told reporters at a pro-government rally in Tehran on Wednesday.
